


Little Clover Academia (Remix)

by PrincessKey



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga), Little Witch Academia, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018), The Owl House (Cartoon), 崩坏3rd | Honkai Impact 3rd (Video Game)
Genre: Discrimination, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Gen, Minor characters deserve love too, black clover au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:55:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 68,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28175769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessKey/pseuds/PrincessKey
Summary: When they turn 16, certain young girls are selected to inherit magical tomes called Grimoire and attend the prestigious Luna Nova Magical Academy. These girls are called Witches.The power of a Grimoire is determined by the number of “Stars” they possess with six being the rarest and most powerful of all. But legends tell of a mysterious Seven Star Grimoire that is said to contain a power untold:The power of a god.This is the story of two young girls chasing after a shared dream: to become splendid witches like their idol, Shiny Chariot.Remember, a believing heart is your magic.
Relationships: Atsuko "Akko" Kagari & Sucy Manbavaran & Lotte Yanson, Constanze Amalie von Braunschbank Albrechtsberger & Jasminka Antonenko & Amanda O'Neill, Diana Cavendish & Hannah England & Barbara Parker, Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari, Hannah England/Amanda O'Neill, Ursula Callistis | Chariot du Nord/Croix Meridies
Comments: 31
Kudos: 108





	1. Prologue: Seeds of a New Beginning

It was on that day, she decided, on June 25th of her sixth year of life, that her life was changed forever. For it was on that special day that she found not only her destiny, but also a lifelong friend.

* * *

The Japan Nation Stadium was packed to the breaking point; every seat had been filled, so a good number of people had to stand in the aisles. But none of them complained; they were just grateful they were able to attend the event that was about to take place. No, it wasn’t the Olympics – they could never draw in this much of a crowd – but the final round of the International Magic Tournament; a grand spectacle where the greatest witches from around the world competed for honor and glory (and a good bit of coin didn’t hurt.) And it was here where our story begins:

[“Mommy, daddy, hurry, hurry!”} a young girl practically screamed in Japanese, bounding down the aisle three steps at a time with complete disregard for the other patrons that only a child could get away with.

Her name was Atsuko Kagari, but all her friends called her Akko. A chubby-cheeked Japanese girl with messy chestnut-brown hair, a section of which was pulled back into half a ponytail, and large crimson eyes that sparkled with glee as she bounced down the steps. For this momentous occasion, she had dressed up to look her best: her pointed hat (bought at the souvenir store), her cape (one of her old bed sheets), and her own magic staff (okay, it was a toy, but it was still cool!)

Akko spun around, looking up the stairs as her parent sidled their way through the crowd, apologizing to everyone she had bumped into, and shouted impatiently, [“Hurry, hurry! It’s about to start!”]

[“The show’s not going anywhere, Akko,”] her father said calmly. [“Just settle down…”]

Akko puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. Grow-ups just didn’t understand! It was her birthday, and her most favoritest witch of all time was in Japan for one day only! She didn’t want to miss it!

She paced the spot until her parents _finally_ made it down the stairs. After her father checked the seating on their tickets, the three of them slid their way down the row, her parents apologizing to the seated patrons while Akko couldn’t care less. They came to the three empty chairs in the middle of the row and Akko practically flew into the seat on the end, almost bouncing herself out in all the excitement. Their seats were in a great spot (they had better be for the amount of yen it cost her parents). They were facing directly at midfield and they were up a decent enough height so that Akko had a good view in either direction. She only hoped the fans in front of her didn’t start standing up and block her view.

As her parents took their seats, Akko looked around when she noticed the person sitting directly to her left.

She was a little girl around Akko’s age, but with a pale skin tone, the brightest blue eyes Akko had ever seen, and bright blonde hair that almost looked white with tea-green highlights. Akko had never seen anyone like her before; she looked foreign. Just like Akko, she had her own pointed hat and cape, but hers looked like they had been handcrafted by a professional. She was clenching a card in her hands and staring ahead at their field with an excited twinkle in her eyes.

She seemed to notice Akko staring, because a second later, she turned her head to the Japanese girl with an inquisitive look. Rather than feeling awkward like most grown-ups would, Akko smiled brightly and gave a friendly wave.

[“Hi! I’m Akko! What’s your name?”]

The blonde girl blinked and tilted her head at Akko, looking rather confused. It suddenly occurred to Akko that the foreign girl might not understand Japanese.

Just as Akko considered using mime to translate, the foreign girl tucked at the woman sitting next to her that looked like she could be her mother. The girl said something in a language Akko couldn’t understand – was that English? – and the mother smiled mirthfully with an understanding nod.

The mother reached into her bag and suddenly pulled out a book and started flipping through the pages. But it wasn’t just any old book. Akko’s jaw dropped in awe when she spotted the five four-point stars on the book’s cover. It’s a Grimoire, Akko screamed in her head. A book of magic!

Then that could only mean…this woman is a witch!

After finding what she was looking for, the woman said something in her native language her Grimoire briefly flashed a -pale-yellow light. That same light covered Akko and the foreign girl, who rounded to her and said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. What did you say?”

“Whoa, I can understand you!” Akko shouted, awestruck. “Can you understand me?”

“Yes,” the foreign girl nodded. “Mama used a translation spell so we can understand each other.”

“So your mom is a witch!” said Akko excitedly. “That’s so cool! I’ve never actually met a witch in person! Are you a witch, too?”

“No, but I will be when I get my Grimoire someday,” said the foreign girl, giggling. Akko thought it sounds like wind chimes. “I’m Diana Cavendish. What’s your name?”

“Atsuko Kagari,” Akko answered, grinning. “But my friends call me Akko. Where’re you from?”

“England,” said Diana. “Mama brought us tickets.”

“Wow, you came all the way from England?” said Akko in amazement. She didn’t know much about geography, but she did know about England because that’s where her favoritest witch studied. “That’s so cool! Who’re you rooting for? I’m cheering for Shiny Chariot! She’s the greatest witch in the whole world!”

“Isn’t she?” said Diana with equal enthusiasm. “Her magic is so amazing! And she’s always so confident and levelheaded even when facing powerful opponents!”

“I know, right!” Akko exclaimed gleefully. “Shiny Chariot is so cool! I have almost all her cards except the super rare premium ‘A Believing Heart is your magic’ card.”

“You mean…this one,” said Diana in a teasing sort of voice as she flipped the card in her hand around.

Akko let out an overdramatic gasp. There, only a few inches from her face, was the fabled card that Akko had desired for so long. It was the most beautiful things she had ever seen (Well, considering she was only six, that didn’t mean much). The luminescent image of her idol surrounded by many ethereal creatures, a bird stretching its wings behind her as if she had become an angel. If her parents hadn’t taught her better, Akko would have considered snatching it out of Diana’s hands and running away with it.

“A super rare premium ‘A Believing Heart is your magic’ card!” Akko squealed. “I can’t believe you have a super rare premium ‘A Believing Heart is your magic’ card! Those are super expensive! Where’d you get it?”

“My mama gave it to me for my birthday,” said Diana proudly. “It’s my treasure.” “Lucky…,” Akko said, pouting.

The Kagaris and Diana’s mother watched their daughters interact, smiling amusingly to one another.

Suddenly, all the lights in the stadium went out at the same time. A surprised and almost frightened murmur passed across the audience. Then, a single spotlight popped in the middle of the field from a magical ball of light in the sky, illuminating a woman with fiery-orange hair dressed in a referee’s uniform. Excitement welled up in Akko’s chest as the woman whipped out a microphone, tapping the speaker to test the sound, and shouted out with great passion:

“ **Are you ready for some magic?!** ” She paused briefly as the audience screamed back their approval. “ **Well, you’re in for a real treat today! Coming to you live from Japan, it’s the finals of the International Magic Tournament! I’m your host for today’s festivities, Aria O’Neill!** "

“ **Over the past six weeks, we have had many famous and fabulous witches duking it out for the chance to test their magical might all over the world and make their mark in history! From the frozen plains of the Siberian tundra to the humid grounds of the African Rainforest to the towering spires of New York City! This tournament started with over eighty witches, and now it’s come down to these two! So whaddya say we stop wasting each other’s time and bring them out already?** ”

The crowd roared with anticipation. Akko and Diana were screaming their little lungs out that Diana had to pause for a moment to breath, goggling Akko as she kept going.

Aria swept her arm to the left and said, “ **In this corner is the hardcore rock star legend whose latest album has gone double-platinum, and now she’s looking to add the title of Magic Champion to her list of accomplishments! The Magical Mistress of Music, it’s Marjolaine Vee!** ”

Another magical spotlight exploded over the left end of the field. Standing underneath was young and fashionable-looking witch with dark-green hair that was combed into a large ridge that fell over the right side of her face. She definitely had the vibe of a rock star, Akko agreed, just based on the way she dressed with a deep-maroon color scheme and exposed enough skin without it being considered inappropriate. Marjolaine waved politely to the screaming fans, no doubt accustomed to the attention.

A moment later, Aria swept her hand to the right and yelled, “ **And in this corner in the spunky newcomer that is making waves in the magical world! Despite only graduating from Luna Nova last year, this young witch has fought her way to the final stage of the tournament and looking good while doing it! Going by the moniker Shiny Chariot, it’s Chariot Du Nord!** ”

“Shiny Chariot!” Akko and Diana squealed in unison, unknowingly holding hands as they did.

A third magical spotlight flashed on the opposite side of the field. There, for the first time ever,

Akko got a real glimpse of her beloved idol.

She was definitely younger than Marjolaine, looking like she was barely on the cusps of adulthood, but she stood tall with her fists on her hips and a confident grin on her lips. A messy mop of applered hair was half hidden under her white pointed hat, matching the color of her eyes. Her outfit was flashy in a way where she could flaunty her youth that Marjolaine couldn’t, from her unnecessarily short skirt to the ample exposure of her cleavage. It was easy to see why many adults (mostly men) were fond of her, but not Akko. She loved Shiny Chariot for a more genuine reason –

“ **All right, ladies, you know the rules!** ” Aria’s voice cut through the stadium. “ **Each of you is equipped with a special device that will monitor the amount of magical damage you take, which will be displayed here** ” – two screens popped up in the air; one for Marjolaine and one for Shiny Chariot, both with empty meters below their pictures – “ **the amount of damage you take will differ depending on the strength of the spell used. Once the damage meter is full, you will be considered KO’d, even if you still have the strength to fight. The person who KO’s their opponent wins**!”

“ **Now, it’s time to reveal the field they will be competing on!** ” Aria announced. “ **Light – on!** ”

Aria snapped her fingers and all at once the stadium lights flashed on all at once, nearly blinding entire audience who had just adjusted to the darkness. Akko blinked the spot out of her eyes as her vision slowly started to clear. When she looked back down onto the field, she couldn’t hold back the excited yell in the back of her throat; Diana made a similar noise next to her.

What had once been flat, smooth turf was somehow transformed into a treacherous rock valley in the ten short minutes that the lights were off. The ground was uneven and broken in many places, gigantic rock spires formed a forest of stone in the middle, and high plateaus rose on either side of the field where Marjolaine and Shiny Chariot stood waiting for their cue. Aria the judge hovered the terrain riding a broom with the magical spotlight still following her.

“ **The final round will take place in the Messier Crag,** ” said Aria. “ **where our contestants will not only have to battle each other, but the unstable environment as well!**

“ **All right, the field is set, the rules are explained, so now it’s time to get into the action!** ” Aria declared to a howling audience. “ **Contestants, are you ready?** ”

“Don’t cry if you end up losing, kid,” Marjolaine taunted playfully.

“Try not to break a hip, granny,” Chariot retorted, laughing at the throbbing vein visible on Marjolaine’s temple even from a distance.

“ **All right, ladies, enough smack talk!** ” said Aria. “ **The final round of the International Magic Tournament begins in 3…2…1** …”

“You can do it, Shiny Chariot!” Diana cheered.

“Kick her butt!” Akko screamed, pumping her fists over her head excessively.

“ ** _START!_** ”

A loud buzzer roared from the stadium’s sound system, and both witches launched themselves into the field.

Chariot sprinted out of the gate, weaving through the towering pillars with her cape whipping behind her. She jumped over a large crack that would have destroyed her ankles if she hadn’t seen it and arrived where half field would usually be when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She looked around the forest of stone, trying to drown out the rumble of the crowd, when she realized something was out of place.

She couldn’t see Marjolaine anywhere.

Chariot knew she was fast on her feet, but that wasn’t any reason she should have…. Chariot’s musing was broken when she heard a trembling roar on her right that most certainly was not the crowd’s cheering. For one thing, it was getting closer as well as louder with each second that passed…. Chariot went momentarily bug-eyed before she threw herself to the side just before a column of air pressure blasted through the area where she had been standing, ripping apart the ground and shattering several pillars like they were made of glass.

Chariot pushed herself up to a kneel, blinking astonishingly at the level of destruction, before in the direction it came from.

Standing atop one of the stone pillars with her arms crossed dramatically, Marjolaine smirked amusingly as her Grimoire hovered in front of her. The cover was deep maroon just like her outfit and the five cyan stars forming the shape of a musical note.

She looked up at the damage meter, noticing that Chariot only received a small sliver of green added to hers. With a huff, the rock star witch flipped through the pages of her Grimoire again until she found what she was looking for.

“ **Song Magic: Death Metal Devastation!** ” yelled Marjolaine.

The rock star witch lurched forward and let out an ear-splitting screech that transformed into a stream of solid air pressure, tearing up the ground as it flew over. Chariot took cover behind one of the rock pillars, but Marjolaine’s song magic smashed through with ease, kicking up a humongous cloud of smoke and gravel.

Akko and Diana gasped, grasping each other’s hands supportively without realizing it.

Marjolaine smirked proudly as she watched the dirt cloud drift slowly across the field then looked up at the damage monitor. To her immense satisfaction, that one spell had managed to fill up onethird of Chariot’s meter. She raised her Grimoire preparing to use the same spell again when she caught something streaking out of her peripherals. Something white had shot out of the dust cloud and hovered in the air over the field. It was Shiny Chariot! The young witch’s outfit was noticeably scuffed and she had several scratches on her exposed skin, but otherwise appeared unharmed.

The crowd exploded into cheers; Akko and Diana were probably the loudest among them.

As she glided over the terrain, locking eyes with Marjolaine from a distance, she undid the clasp of the bag attached to the back of her belt and opened the flap. Her Grimoire levitated out and floated in front of Chariot. The book had a cover of pure white with a golden binding and not four, not five, but _seven_ lime-green, four-point stars on the face aligned in the pattern of the Big Dipper.

“There it is!” Diana squealed excitedly.

“Shiny Chariot’s one-of-a-kind Seven Star Grimoire!” Akko cheered.

Chariot’s Grimoire flew open unaided and turned to a seemingly random page in the middle. The book briefly flashed with a lime-green glow. Something began to materialize from the pages of the Grimoire, rising from the book like a sword being drawn from its sheath. It was a lightly-colored staff with a golden ornament at the top and embedded with seven crystals also in the shape of the Big Dipper. Chariot snatched up the staff and twirled it in her hand with a dramatic flair.

“It’s the Shiny Rod!” said Diana.

“That’s your Shiny Rod that everyone keeps talking about!” Marjolaine shouted harshly. “What a stupid name! **Song Magic: Death Metal Devastation**!”

The rocker witch shout another volley of solidified air pressure in the sky toward Chariot. Chariot, however, only smirked. The redheaded witch twirled the Shiny Rod in her hands and the magical tool seemingly unraveled in threads of light, its seven crystals glimmering amid the tangled, and bound together into a new shape. What had once been a staff had transformed into a smooth gilded broomstick with three straw ends. Chariot gripped the neck of the newly made broom and pulled it over her shoulder as Marjolaine’s spell approached – “ **Wind Magic: Balai Bellows**!” yelled Chariot.

Chariot swung her broomstick across the air. In that instant, Marjolaine’s spell was swallowed by a tidal wave of gale force winds so powerful it nearly launched the audience out of their seats. Marjolaine threw up her arms over her face to protect herself from the harsh winds, which matter very little as the heavy winds lifted the rock star off her feet and threw her across the field, smashing through a rock pillar; Marjoline’s damage meter filled with a quarter of green.

Shiny Chariot flipped around on the broomstick with a theatrical flair, standing perfectly balanced on the tool’s thin neck like a trained acrobat. The broomstick allowed her to stay aloft as she waved to the cheering crowd, reveling in their praise. But in her moment of distraction, the young performer was nearly thrown off when a large chunk of rock flew past her face, nearly knocking her off balance. She looked back down to the field to see Marjolaine emerging from the rubble, her clothes dirty and her face scratched up, but otherwise okay.

“Lucky shot!” Marjolaine declared. Her Grimoire rose to her side and flipped automatically to another page. “ **Song Magic: Ballade of Blades**!”

Marjolaine sang a long, high-pitched note and dozens of foot-long daggers made of solidified air formed around her. She sent the blades flying with a motion of her hands, still maintaining that high note.

Seeing more than twenty air knives flying toward her cause Chariot to momentarily panic and fell backward on her broom, accidentally dodging several that flew past her face. The redheaded witch twisted around so that she properly straddled the broom and flew out of the way of the rest of the knives. Chariot appeared relieved for a moment, believing herself to be safe, but when she looked back, the air daggers had curved around and started chasing her like a swarm of angry bees. She dived down into the stone forest, swerving around the stone columns in hopes of shaking them off, but the blades weaved around the obstacles as well and continued their relentless pursuit.

“Shiny Chariot’s in trouble!” Akko gasped, shaking her fist. “Hey, stop chasing Shiny Chariot you stupid…whatever!”

“It’s Marjolaine!” Diana said. “She’s controlling where the spells are going! Shiny Chariot needs to take her out!”

As if she had heard Diana, Chariot looked around toward Marjolaine, who was still maintaining that high note (wow, those are some powerful lungs). But while she looked away, one of the song daggers flew by and sliced a clean line across her left bicep, spilling a small trail of blood (and increasing her damage bar). Grimacing, Chariot looked back at the flock of blades still chasing her, then flattened herself against her broomstick and across the field like a rocket. Despite going at what seemed like the speed of sound, Chariot expertly navigated her way through the stone forest and was swiftly approaching Marjolaine.

Marjolaine ended her spell when she noticed Chariot heading her way (plus her throat was starting to her) and rapidly flipped through her Grimoire. The spell book flashed with power as Marjolaine reeled her head back, taking a deep breath:

“ **Song Magic: Bolero Breath!** ”

Marjolaine sang again, but this time in a deep, resonating note. The air solidified around the rock star, curving and molding until it formed a perfect sphere. It was a barrier; even Akko could recognize that. Marjolaine must have actually been worried if she needed to go on the defensive.

But if Chariot was put off by Marjolaine’s defense, she didn’t show it. The young witch jumped off her broomstick, sliding her feet across the ground less than ten feet away from her opponent, and caught the broomstick in the air, which had reverted back into a staff. Chariot’s Seven Star Grimoire appeared at her side, glowing with a lime-green aura. Chariot raised the Shiny Rod with both hands over her head as it unraveled once more, transforming into a great gilded axe blade.

“ **Earth Magic: Shattering Gaia!** ”

Chariot slammed her Shiny Ax into the ground, which a row of rock spikes to erupt from the ground, headed toward Marjolaine. While her barrier was able to deflect the spikes from the outside, she neglected to realize the sound shield didn’t the ground beneath her feet. As such, a colossal spear of stone rose underneath and pierced her in the should, tossing the rock star in the air.

Marjolaine hit the ground with her back, wincing from the open wound on her shoulder, and looked up at the damage board apprehensively. Chariot’s spell had filled up two-thirds of her meter. Marjolaine cursed under her breath.

“Yeah, go, Shiny Chariot!” Akko was beside herself, screaming herself hoarse.

“She really _can_ more than one Natural Element,” Diana murmured in awe.

“Okay, okay, I admit, you’re good for a kid,” Marjolaine complimented. Chariot, however, stood her ground, having shifted her weapon back to its staff form. “But I can’t let myself get beat by some newcomer fresh out of school. It would make me look bad. Sorry, But I’m not pulling any more punches,” Her Grimoire flipped to a new page, glowing ominiously. “ **Song Magic: Ragna-Rock!** ”

Marjolaine screamed another long note – this one more powerful than any before; it reverberated throughout the stadium, rattling Akko and Diana’s bones. The air in the stadium began to thin as shapes of solidified wind appeared on the field, expanding with new limb that formed. First it was a ten-foot claw, which was attached to a thick arm, which was connected to a broad chest. Three more limbs took shape, a long tail lashed behind it, bat-like wings stretched into the night sky, and a lengthy neck gave way to a horned head with glowing yellow eyes.

In seconds, a massive dragon made of solid wind pressure filled half the stadium; when it roared, Akko could feel the ground quaking beneath them.

“What is that?” Akko shrieked, taking shelter behind her homemade cape.

“It’s Marjolaine’s most powerful spell: Ragna-Rock!” Diana cried. “No one’s ever beaten it before!”

“But…but Shiny Chariot can, right?” Akko asked timidly, peeking over her cape to her idol down on the field. “She’s the greatest witch of all time….”

To her credit, Chariot did not shy away from the massive wind dragon when so many would tremble in fear. Whether brave or foolish, Shiny Chariot stared straight into the glowing eyes of the dragon as if challenging it. The great dragon rumbled and, with a wave of Marjo0laine’s hands, stomped forward toward its prey.

And still, Chariot did not flinch or back away, even as the crowd urged her to run. Instead, the redheaded witch took a deep, cleansing breath and raised the Shiny Rod in front of her. The magical tool unraveled for a third time and reformed into a gleaming gilded bow with a string like a thread of moonlight. Chariot furrowed her brow and took aim at the summoned beast.

“ ** _Light Magic!_** ” Chariot chanted as she pulled back the silver string, conjuring an arrow of neon-green light. “ _ **Shiny Arc**!_”

Chariot loosened her fingers and allowed the arrow to fly; a powerful shockwave carried across the field at the moment of release. It sailed through the air toward the hulking wind beast, which opened its mighty jaws and swallowed the projectile whole.

A moment of tense silence fell over the stadium…. Suddenly, Majolaine’s conjured monster began to groan loudly, as if it were suffering from a severe case of indigestion. Majolaine looked up at her summon with a quirked brow, still holding the note, when she noticed a bead of green light forming in the belly of her beast and slowly expanding. Within seconds, her Ragna-Rock spell was glowing with the same energy as Chariot’s spell, moaning like a wounded beast. And before Marjolaine knew what to do, the wind dragon detonated in a burst of light.

Marjolaine, who was standing right next to the dragon, was blown off her feet, feeling the radiance of Chariot’s magic burning against her skin. She was thrown all the way back to the raised plateau at the end of the field and slammed the back of her head into the rock wall, knocking her unconscious (and filling her damage meter.) The energy inside the dragon shot into the starry sky above and exploded into a shower of colorful fireworks.

Akko and Diana watched without blinking, thoroughly enraptured.

“ **And that’s the match!** ” Aria O’Neill shouted over the loudspeakers as the airhorn went off (Where had she been this whole time?) “ **In a stunning and rather theatrical performance, the winner of the International Magic Tournament is…Chariot ‘Shiny Chariot’ Du Nord!** ”

Akko and Diana were nearly deafened by the sheer volume of the audience’s cheers. Everyone had jumped out of their seat and was either screaming or clapping with roaring enthusiasm, but were also blocking the girls’ view of the field, much to their displeasure.

Meanwhile, Chariot used her sleeve to wipe the sweat off her brow, her body feeling heavy with exhaustion. But before she could even consider the possibility of relaxing after a long, hard-fought battle, Aria O’Neill swooped into her personal space, practically shoving the microphone in Chariot’s face.

“ **Chariot Du Nord, you have just set the record for the youngest champion of the International Magic Tournament** ,” declared Aria, “ **defeating the most talented and experienced witches one year after graduation, and established yourself as one of the most powerful witches of the age. What are you planning on doing next?** ”

Chariot paused for a moment, tapping her chin and looking up thoughtfully. A sly grin crossed her lips after a few seconds of thought, then she snatched the microphone out of Aria’s hands and turned to face the general audience. Thankfully, the crowd had finally sat back down in their seats, allowing Akko and Diana to see their idol…who was staring in their direction!

“ **You give me too much credit,** ” said Chariot, sounding humble despite her cocky smirk, “ **but I still have a long way to go until I reach my goal. And I do have a goal. You say I’m _one_ of the best, but I plan on being _the_ best.**” An excited murmur passed around the crowd as the realization of her words washed over them. “ **That’s right, I’m aiming straight for the top! One day, I will become… the Magic Empress!** ”

“The Magic Empress…,” Akko repeated in awe.

“The number one witch in the entire world…,” Diana muttered.

Aria retook her microphone, looking a little peeved Chariot stole it in the first place, and said, “ **That’s a pretty lofty goal you’re aiming for. You know every witch in the world in going to be gunning for that spot. You’ll have to go through the strongest, the smartest, the fastest, and most experience witches on the planet before you can even think about sitting on the throne. You really think you have what it takes to be number one?** ”

“ **As long as I believe in myself and my magic, anything is possible** ,” said Chariot, looking out to the crowd once more. More specifically, she seemed to be staring intently at two starry-eyed girls dressed in capes and pointed hats, hanging on to her every word. “ **Never forget, a Believing Heart is your magic.** ”

In that moment, Akko felt a strange sensation wash over her. She couldn’t describe the feeling, but it made her skin tingle like static electricity and her heart suddenly sped up for a quick second. And just as fast as the feeling came, it was gone again. What was that, Akko thought to herself….

Aria opened her mouth to say something when Chariot suddenly aimed her bow into the sky and shouted, “ ** _Dark Magic: Dimensional Gateway!_** ”

She pulled back the string of her bow and formed another arrow – this time made from black energy – and loosened it toward the sky. The arrow flew high above the stadium where it seemingly punctured a hole into space itself, creating a swirling vortex of many lights. While everyone looked slack jawed at the portal, Chariot twirled her bow and reshaped it into her broomstick again. Th redheaded witch hopped onto the broom like a surfboard, shooting straight into the air and flying into the mouth of the vortex, which immediately closed behind her.

And just like that, she was gone, leaving a stunned audience in her wake.

“… **Well, she certainly knows how to make an exit** ,” Aria spoked up after an awkward pause. “ **Um…well, I guess that’s the end of that! Thank you all for being here for this spectacular event! Drive home safely and please join us again next year where our champion hopefully doesn’t go running off again before we start handing out the prizes! This is Aria O’Neill saying good night and keep the magic alive**!”

The crowd started to rise from their seats and shove their way towards the exits; excited chatter mingled in the air as everyone talked enthusiastically about their favorite parts of the match….

Everyone except Akko and Diana.

Even while their parents were getting ready to leave, the two girls remained in their seats, staring up into space where their idol had disappeared. Diana clutched her treasured Shiny Chariot card against her chest, letting out a breath she didn’t realize that she had been holding.

“Shiny Chariot…,” Diana exhaled softly. “She…really is amazing, isn’t she?”

“Yeah…,” Akko murmured, barely breathing herself. “hey…Diana….” “Hmm?” Dian hummed.

“Do you think…I could be an amazing witch like Shiny Chariot someday?” asked Akko, still staring into space. “I mean, I know I don’t come from a witch family like everyone else does. But…I can still be a witch someday if I work hard, right?”

Diana blinked and glanced sideways at her new friend. She suspected that Akko might not have come from a witch’s family when the Japanese girl saw her mother’s grimoire. Though young, Diana knew that first generation witches were almost unheard of in the modern world and that Grimoires were typically passed down to those who came from a magical lineage like hers. But instead of telling her that, Diana gave a kind smile and said:

“It’ll be hard,” Diana admitted, “but if you believe strong enough, I bet a Grimoire will choose you some day. No, I know it will. Like Shiny Chariot always says, ‘A Believing Heart – “

“ – is your magic,” said Akko, smiling appreciatively. The Japanese girl turned in her seat, facing

Diana fully with a determined look. “Then…let’s make a promise, Diana!” “A promise?” said Diana curiously.

“When we grow up, let’s get our Grimoires together,” said Akko, clenching her fists with resolve.

“Then we’ll both become amazing witches who protect the world and make people smile, just like

Shiny Chariot.” She held out her littlest finger to the English girl. “Pinkie promise.”

Diana goggled at the brunette child, taken aback by her level of conviction in her words. She was absolutely serious; anything to argue against her would likely fall on deaf ears. Diana giggled, but not in a mean way, then raised her hand to loop her littlest finger with Akko’s “Pinkie promise.”

* * *

It was on that day, she decided, on June 25th of her sixth year of life, that her life was changed forever. For it was on that special day that she found not only her destiny, but also a lifelong friend.

After that day, Akko and Diana went their separate ways, living their lives in their own countries, but they remained connected by a dream (and the miracle of modern technology.)

Diana would continue to study diligently in her family’s manor, driven by the promise she made as a child, even when the day came that she would have to say goodbye to her ailing mother. She would not let sadness, or anger, or regret consume her, because she knew there was someone who was waiting for her; someone who shared the same dream as her.

Akko would continue to all her effort into learning magic in her modest home, driven by the promise she made as a child, even when it seemed like she would never achieve any progress. She would never give up and never back down when all seemed hopeless, because she knew there was someone who was waiting for her; someone who shared the same dream as her.

Time marched on, and in the blink of an eye, ten years had already passed….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone.
> 
> I know you've probably see this story before, and that's because you have. This work was originally done by ZeroLeech, who apparently stopped working on it because of some real world issues and left it orphaned. I asked if I could have it and he said yes (surprised no one else did first.) So I'm taking over with some minor oversight from the original author. Most of the chapters will be the same as before with a few minor details brushed up. When i reach chapter eight, it will be me taking over.
> 
> I hope you support me in the coming days.


	2. The Girls' Promise

It all happened so fast, that before she knew it, ten years had already come and gone with nothing but a dream and a promise to keep her going forward. Today, on May 9th of her sixteenth year, she would take her first step to fulfilling that promise….

* * *

Atsuko “Akko” Kagari practically bounced out of the Glastonbury station, her suitcase and handbag flying in the air behind her, a bright and excited smile on her lips as she caught her first view of the first English town she'd ever visited.

Unlike the cramped concrete towers and neon lights of Shibuya where she lived close by, Glastonbury was small and picturesque: old fashioned brick buildings lined the smooth streets with colorful banners hanging off old fashioned lampposts. It looked like it came directly out of a post card. It was the perfect place, in Akko’s opinion, for her to receive her Grimoire.

No longer was Akko the same small, chubby-cheeked little girl who played witch with her Shiny Rod toy. Today, she was now a young woman with more refined features thanks to years of activity, her chestnut-brown hair reaching past her shoulders, but still kept the half ponytail from childhood. She wasn’t lanky or fit in any visible capacity, but her body was toughened by a reckless childhood as shown by the few noticeable scars on her exposed skin.

The Japanese girls dropped her luggage haphazardly on the ground, taking a deep breath of the new English air; definitely an improvement from Shibuya, in her opinion. She clasped her hands together, looking up at the clear blue sky, unable to hold back her excitement.

“I’ve finally made it!” Akko squealed. “This is the holy land where the world’s greatest witch, Shiny Chariot, grew up in!” She threw out her arms with wild abandonment and started dancing in place…until she felt the strong urge to keel over. She leaned forward against her knees, fighting back the back the bile rising in her throat. “Ugh…stupid motion sickness….”

She took a few seconds to catch her breath, then stood straight up with a determined look in her eyes. She grabbed the handle of her suitcase and threw her hand bag over her shoulder, ready to set out.

“This is where I’ll become a witch for sure!” said Akko confidently. “First, I’ll go to the library to get my Grimoire, then it’s off to Luna Nova!” She marched forward six paces before she stopped, tilting her head. “Er, where's the library again?”

In all of the excitement of her parents allowing her to travel all the way to England to receive her Grimoire, packing up all her prized possessions, and the actual trip itself, Akko had neglected to plan out where she was going to go when she reached Glastonbury. Akko crossed her arms and hummed thoughtfully.

“Hmm…I guess I could ask around, but I’m not confident about my English,” Akko muttered to herself. “All those lessons with Diana over the Skynet helped – wait a minute! That’s it! Diana! She’ll know!”

Akko felt like kicking herself for not thinking about it right away. Diana had been Akko’s best friend for over ten years, for Shiny Chariot’s sake!

In Akko’s defense, they haven’t physically met since the finals of the International Magic Tournament over a decade ago, but they’ve stayed in constant communication with each other through text, e-mail, and video calls; Diana’s mom had even gotten her a computer just so she could talk to Akko. They had spent years telling each other about their lives, showing off their fan art and Shiny Chariot costumes, wondering what Grimoires they were going to get, and teaching each other their respective languages to communicate better. And now, Akko just realized as she pulled out her smartphone, she was going to meet Diana – actually meet her – for the first time in ten years!

Akko giggled as she opened the text app, practically smashing the buttons with her thumbs.

**A: Hey, Diana! I made it to Glastonbury! 🙌**

**D: That’s good to hear. I’m still a ways off**

**D: Anna insisted on driving me the whole way.**

**A: That’s great! Can’t wait to see you! ❤️**

**A: So um…quick question. Nothing major or anything. 😜**

**D: You don’t know where the library is, do you?**

**A: Gurk! 😓**

**D: I had a feeling this would happen.**

**D: I’ve known you for too long not to expect it.**

**A: Please, my ego can’t take another hit! 😫**

**D: Fine…I’ll just berate you when I get there.**

**A: 😭**

**D: The library is just outside the town at the top of a hill.**

**D: It looks like a giant tower with a tree growing out of it.**

**D: You can’t miss it.**

**A: Yatta! Thanks, Diana! Love you! ❤️**

**D: Always happy to help.**

**A:😐**

**D: …I love you, too. ❤️**

**A: 😀**

“ _Yosh!_ Destination acquired!” shouted Akko, readjusting her bag. “Next stop: Luna Nova Academy!”

With a skip in her step and a happy hum on her lips, Akko began her trek through the town –

* * *

\- and was starting to regret packing so many things as she climbed the steep hillside outside of Glastonbury, her knees shaking like leaves. It was even worse when she asked around town (thankfully, her English was good enough to get her point across) and realized that Glastonbury didn’t have any buses or taxis. I mean, seriously, Akko thought heatedly, how does a town not have any transportation service?! She had to drag all of her stuff seven miles just to reach the hill! She was tired, and sweaty, and thirsty, and little bit hungry! But despite the major setback, Akko thought to herself, it would all be worth it in the end....

Akko started to reach the crest of the hill when she finally caught a glimpse of her destination. It was honestly amazing that Akko hadn’t noticed it on the way over; it was massive cylindrical tower with an abundance of tree branches growing out of the roof and windows, just like Diana said it would.

A cacophony of chattering voices followed soon after. A large crowd started to appear in her view – dozens of girls around her age were flocked around the closed double doors of the tower. One look at a distance told her that all of them were from different parts of the world just like her. From their unique hairstyles to the tone of their skin to the way they dressed; no two girls were similar to each other. And all of them were here for the same reason as her.

Relief washed over Akko when she realized she had made it to the right place. The Japanese girl found her second wind and broke into a run toward the crowd. As she approached them, she caught snatches of their conversations –

“ – think you’re going to be picked for?”

“I don’t know. Maybe Jade Mimosa or Amber Canopus.”

“I’d _love_ to get into Royal Regulus! They only accept the best!”

“Just as long as it’s not Crimson Ankaa. That would be awful – “

“Speaking of awful, I heard a rumor about one of the girls coming to the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony. They say she isn’t of witch blood.”

“Seriously?!”

“You’re joking!”

Akko came to a screeching stop just a few feet short of the crowd, stiff as a statue. She knew they were talking about her, but how they even found out about her non-magical heritage was a mystery.

Guess it's true there are no secrets left in the world, Akko thought dreadfully.

“Geez, what’s with these commoners thinking they can just do whatever they want?”

“It’s just another normie deluding themselves into thinking they can become a witch. I heard they have at least one every year. It’s always so embarrassing when they show up and they don’t get picked for a Grimoire.”

“They’re the worst. Ruining the reputation of proper witches. If they had any decency, they would bury themselves in a hole and never come out.”

Akko was now visibly sweating. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all, she thought. She didn’t _technically_ have to attend the ceremony to receive her Grimoire. She could always come back later to collect it in private…when there was no one around to judge her.

Deciding her course of action, Akko turned away slowly –

“Hey, you!”

Akko tensed up at the abrupt voice. She turned around mechanically and found herself face-to-face with two very judge-y-looking girls. Both of them looked like they were of English heritage and both had very thick eyebrows, but while the one on the left had smooth black hair that flowed down her back, the other had bushy brunette hair tied in a ponytail by a yellow ribbon.

“Y-yeah…,” Akko replied nervously.

“Who’re you?” asked the brunette with a scrutinizing glare.

“K-ka – I mean, Atsuko Kagari,” Akko stammered, remembering that the English put their given name first instead of their surname.

“Kagari?” the dark-haired girl repeated suspiciously. “I’ve never heard of a witch family with that name before.”

“W-well…I’m not exactly uh…,” Akko murmured.

“Oh, so it’s you,” said the dark-haired girl, looking at Akko like she was something undesirable. “The commoner who thinks she can get a Grimoire.”

“Well, um…”

“Look, Atsuko, was it?” said the brunette, leaning forward in an intimidating fashion, making Akko pull back. “Why don’t you spare yourself and the rest of us from humiliation and get out of here? You commoners don’t belong here.”

Akko felt an intense desire to punch these girls in the face; her clenched hand was shaking dangerously at her side. But she also felt a terrible sense of dread as well.

She wasn’t foolish enough to believe she would be guaranteed a Grimoire; she knew very well that anyone from a non-witch family had less than a 1% chance of actually being chosen. Akko wanted to tell them that she _would_ be chosen, that she _would_ get a Grimoire and rub their faces into it!

But….

Luckily, Akko was pulled from her spiraling thoughts when her smartphones chimed. She turned her back to the mean girls and pulled it out, discovering that she received a new text. The message was short:

**D: I have arrived.**

The screeching of the tires drew Akko’s eyes to the base of the hill, where a fancy limousine had just parked at the footpath. She wasn’t the only one who noticed; the chattering crowd had stopped and were now staring the newest arrival. A severe-looking maid stepped out of the driver’s seat, pacing stiff-backed to the rear of the vehicle, and opened the door. And stepping out of the limo with the grace of an angel was, to Akko’s delight, the one and only Diana Cavendish.

Akko had seen Diana regularly through a computer screen for years, but it was nothing compared to the real thing. Her pale skin was flawless, her platinum-blonde hair practically glistened in the sun, the tea-green highlight most prominent. She carried herself with an air of refinement that was befitting of someone of her status, walking with her back stiff and her shoulder’s squared, carrying only a single handbag in front of her.

Her shimmering-blue eyes traveled up the length of the footpath and in an instant made contact with Akko’s burgundy ones. A soft smile curled on her lips, displaying nothing but the sincerest form of joy to see her oldest and closest friend.

Akko started to call out to her when –

“Is that Diana Cavendish?!”

“No way!”

“She’s actually here?!”

Akko felt the ground shudder violently beneath her feet. She barely had a chance to look over her shoulder before she was _flattened_ by the stampede of starry-eyed girls. They didn’t even pretend to notice her; they outright stomped on her like she was little more than an inconvenient pebble. By the time the last girl had stepped on the back of her head, Akko was lying face down in the dirt, covering in dirty footprints.

Akko pried her head out of the ground, her face completely red from the brutal beating, and stared over at the swarm of giggling girls surrounding her best friend. For her part, Diana was waving and smiling at everyone who were so eager to greet her, offering little more than a few words. But Akko could tell right away it was fake. She was the only one who had ever seen Diana’s true smile; the smile she was wearing now was just for appearances.

Akko pushed herself up to her knees with a weak groan, trying to brush the dirt off her favorite coat, when a pale hand appeared in front of her. She followed the hand up to the owner’s face, finding Diana leaning forward to help her with a kind, genuine smile. Akko grinned in return and accepted the hand, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet.

“I see you still haven’t learned to walk on two feet yet,” said Diana teasingly.

“Oh, hardy-har-har,” said Akko. “You’re _sooo_ funny.”

“I glad you think so,” Diana retorted, giggling softly. “…I’m glad to finally see you again in person, Akko.”

“Happy to see you too, Diana,” said Akko brightly.

“What is Diana doing talking to that commoner?”

“And why is she acting so chummy with Diana?”

“Do they know each other?”

“Impossible. Diana would never stoop so low to associate with _commoners._ She’s just naturally kind, even to those who don’t deserve it.”

None of the girls were making an effort to keep their voices down, Akko noticed irritably; all of them glaring at her with equal amounts of disdain, like she had committed some cardinal sin. Their words didn’t escape Diana’s attention either as the blonde narrowed her eyes over her shoulder back at the flock. But before she could give them a well-deserved verbal lashing, the double doors of the tower opened with an ominous creak.

Three elderly witches appeared at the threshold wearing similar uniforms of hooded navy dresses.

In the middle was a short and stooped woman with faded green hair in rectangular glasses wearing a redcoat over her uniform. The woman on her right was tall with her hair tied back in a bun and had a severe look that said she would not tolerate nonsense from anyone, especially Akko. And on the short woman’s left was a witch with hair that looked like a teal coconut wearing a green cloak over her uniform.

The short woman readjusted her glasses, peering thinly from Diana and Akko to the crowd of onlookers a few feet away. She smiled kindly and said, “Oh, good, you’re all here. I hope you all had a safe trip. Please, come in, the Acceptance Ceremony is about to start.”

The elderly witches entered the tower, though Akko did notice the tall one giving her a critical stare before retreating back inside.

Once again, Akko felt that maybe she should leave now and come back another time to get her Grimoire alone. But that line of thinking was halted when Diana subtly slipped her hand into Akko’s, offering her an encouraging smile. Though still a little hesitant, Akko walked alongside her best friend into the tower, hand-in-hand.

* * *

“Wow! Look at all the Grimoires!” Akko shouted in awe.

The inside of the tower was filled with nothing but shelves that went straight to the top. Millions of Grimoires of every size, color, and texture filled every space available. And the tree that could be seen from the outside seemed to be growing from the gigantic hanging pot hovering over everyone’s head.

Akko was like a kid in the candy store, looking around everywhere with starry eyes. Diana giggled playfully at her friend’s expression.

“I wonder which one is mine,” Akko muttered quietly, like she was in some sacred site.

“Well, we’ll find out, won’t we?” said Diana optimistically.

But while her best friend was pacing around eagerly, Diana frowned behind her as she caught the not-so-subtle chatter from the other girls who had gathered inside:

“Pathetic, isn’t it? That filthy dreg is stupid enough to believe she’ll get picked for a Grimoire.”

“Leave her alone for now. It’ll be hilarious to see the look on her face when she realizes how pointless it is.”

“Maybe I should be recording in case she starts crying. It’ll get a ton of views.”

Diana refrained herself from lashing out at them; it wouldn’t look good if a Cavendish started attacking random witches for no reason. But that didn’t stop her from clenching her fist tightly at her side, her hand trembling in controlled anger –

Thankfully, all the talking stopped as the three elderly witches climbed up a raised platform, turning all the attention on them. The short witch approached the podium…just before realizing she was too short to reach the microphone. The stern-looking witch walked down the stairs, disappearing from sight for a minute, then came back with a stool for the shorter witch to stand on.

She quietly thanked her taller companion, tapped the microphone for testing, and then she spoke:

“Welcome, future witches, to the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony,” said the short witch. “You are all about to begin a new journey today. One hopefully filled with magic and wonder. I am the headmistress of Luna Nova Magical Academy, Miranda Holbrooke. With me are Professor’s Anne Finnelan and Samantha Badcock.

“Luna Nova has had a long history of producing many famous and powerful witches since the Golden Age of Magic, when the Nine Olde Witches discovered the power of magic and created the first Grimoires. Even the current Magic Empress was once a student of these hallowed halls. And who knows, maybe one of you could become the next Magic Empress. As long as you work hard and study right, nothing is beyond your reach!”

‘ _This is it!_ ’ Akko thought eagerly. ‘ _It’s finally time!_ ’

“And now…,” Professor Holbrooke paused dramatically. “It’s time for the awarding of…the Grimoires!”

At her command, several books began to glow brightly, gently floating out of their shelves into the air. Several dozen Grimoires, each one giving off a unique glow, hovered above their heads like a flock of colorful birds, leaving many to gaze up in awe. Then, one by one, the shimmering tomes began to descend into the hands of their waiting owners.

The first books went to the mean girls who insulted Akko on the hill. The Japanese silently wished that they would get low-ranking Grimoire’s to put them in their place, but was disappointed when she spotted five stars on each of their book covers. The mean girls were obviously enthusiastic about receiving such high-level Grimoires and were noticeably smug about it to Akko.

One by one, everyone took their Grimoire’s with great enthusiasm. The most common Grimoires had three or four stars on the covers, but Akko could hear the disappointed groans of some who got two stars. Some Grimoire’s were as big was window panes and some could fit into the palm of your hand; some were bound thick and a few had less than ten pages. But regardless of how they were, everyone was just happy to have their own….

Almost everyone….

Akko was holding out her hands, hopeful that one of those fabulous Grimoires would fly to her, bestowing her the magical power that she had always dreamed of since she was a child. But as the seconds passed and the available Grimoire’s became fewer, Akko felt her heart sinking. She would hear several girls laughing cruelly in the background, and she was sure she heard the shutter of a camera phone capturing her failure…. But maybe, if she just held out a little longer –

A great flash of light suddenly exploded from nowhere, illuminating the darkened tower in an ethereal light. Akko flinched from the brief brightness and looked up.

A single Grimoire – the last Grimoire – was shining brighter than any of those that came before. Its cover was the color of pure gold with a silver binding and, to the astonishment of everyone who saw it, _six_ pure-white, four-point stars! This was it, Akko thought with a soaring heart. This was her Grimoire –

But the Grimoire did not go to her, she soon realized. The great tome completely flew over her head and ended up with the person behind her. Her best friend: Diana Cavendish.

The entire tower was had fallen into shocked silence. Getting five stars was considered a great achievement, but receiving a Six-Star Grimoire was so rare that most people go their entire lives without ever seeing one. It was said that those who received Six-Star Grimoires went on to becoming the most famous and accomplished witches in history. Akko knew this, and she was genuinely proud of Diana…but it also meant that there were no more Grimoire left…. It meant that Akko had not been chosen….

Diana looked just as shocked as everyone else, but for a completely different reason. As she plucked the legendary tome out of the air, her eyes fell upon her best friend.

A part of her knew that this was a possibility, but Diana was hopeful that, somehow, some way, Akko would get picked for a Grimoire so that they would fulfill their childhood promise together. She noticed the Japanese girl hanging her head, her bangs shrouding her expression. She could only imagine how Akko must have felt, watching her best friend get a legendary Grimoire while she ended up with nothing. And the gossip flying around them wasn’t helping much either.

“Do you see that?! Her Grimoire has _six stars!_ ”

“I always thought those were legends!”

“Those Grimoires are the most powerful of all time! Only the greatest witches get them!”

“That’s just what you would expect from Diana Cavendish!”

Diana shook her head, trying to block out the trivial noise, and reach out for her best friend’s shoulder.

“Akko…are you okay?” Diana murmured worriedly.

Akko remained still, not speaking for a long period…. Then the Japanese girl raised her head and gave the biggest smile she could muster, startling Diana.

“Wow, a Six-Star Grimoire!” Akko said cheerfully. “That’s great! You’re so lucky, Diana! I always knew you were amazing! Way to go!”

“Akko…,” said Diana softly. Her best friend was hurting, Diana knew. She was just trying to put on a brave face.

“Well, this has certainly been an interesting Acceptance Ceremony,” said Professor Holbrooke. “To all of you who have received your Grimoire, I look forward to seeing you at Luna Nova Academy next week. Good luck and keep the magic strong in your hearts.”

And on that final note, Professor Holbrooke stepped down from the stool and walked off, followed shortly by Professor Finnelan and Professor Badcock. The freshly minted witches were talking loudly as they walked toward the exit, showing off their Grimoires or making snide comments about the _commoner_ whose failure had just been uploaded onto the internet, already getting over ten thousand views.

Akko and Diana were the only ones who stayed behind, rooted to their spots until the last of the chosen had stepped outside, leaving them alone in heart-dropping silence….

* * *

It was evening before the girls left the tower; the sun was starting to set over the horizon, casting an reddish-orange glow across the sky. Neither of them spoke as they descended the hillside, Diana clutching her newly obtained Grimoire to her chest. She glanced sideways at Akko, who was staring ahead without really looking at anything.

“…Akko, about what happened in there – “ Diana started.

“Yeah, that really sucks!” Akko groaned, throwing back her head exasperatedly. “I knew it was a long shot, but I had to try. Grr…I’ll show those jerks!” she shouted firmly, clenching her fist in a determined pose. “I’ll just try again next time and get a super amazing Grimoire that’ll wipe the smirks off their faces! You’ll see!”

“Akko…it’s okay to be sad – “

“I’m not sad!” Akko retorted, making Diana jump. “A little disappointed, sure! Frustrated, hell yeah! But I’m not going to give up after one little set back! You think Shiny Chariot would give up so easily?! Of course not! She’d work harder and do better next time! So that’s what I’m going to do! I’m gonna work my butt off so hard, a Grimoire will _have_ to choose me!”

“Akko…,” Diana muttered, eyes wide in amazement.

The Japanese turned to her and declared with a look of resolution, “Just you wait, Diana. Even if it takes a hundred years – even if I never get a Grimoire – I’m going to become an amazing witch that brings safety and happiness to everyone, just like Shiny Chariot. I swear it.”

The English girl goggled her best friend for a moment before a soft smile crossed her lips.

“If anyone can do it, it’s you, Atsuko Kagari,” Diana told her with all the sincerity in her heart. “After all, like Chariot always said, ‘A Believing Heart – ‘”

“’ - is your magic’,” Akko finished, smiling widely. “I’m glad I met someone as amazing as you, Diana.”

“You’re the amazing one, Akko,” Diana replied.

“Well, isn’t this such a sweet scene.”

Akko and Diana snapped out of their own little world and looked to the side curiously. The teal coconut – er, the professor from the Acceptance Ceremony was climbing the footpath to meet them.

“Hey, you’re that old hag from – OOF!” Akko started before Diana elbowed her in the gut.

“Professor Badcock, right?” said Diana politely. “I thought you left with the other teachers.”

“Oh, Miranda and Anne decided to get lunch at a café nearby,” said Professor Badcock. The old witch was really starting to intrude upon their personal space, Akko thought, which made her slightly uncomfortable. “But I wanted to stay behind to congratulate you on your achievement, Miss Cavendish. It’s not often we see someone receive a six-star Grimoire. Er…do you think I could hold it for a moment? I’ve never seen one up close before.”

“Um…sure…I suppose it couldn’t hurt,” Diana replied hesitantly, looking just as uneasy as Akko felt.

Diana slowly held out her Grimoire, shooting questionable glances to Akko. When Professor Badcock took it, Diana held on to the Grimoire for a moment and then, very reluctantly, relinquished the tome.

Professor Badcock gazed at the Grimoire in wonderment. But Akko thought there was something else in her eyes…something hungry, like a lion waiting to pounce on a gazelle. She and Diana shared awkward looks as the seconds passed with Badcock just openly staring at the book; Diana rubbed her arm anxiously while Akko felt the urge to snatch the Grimoire out of her bony hands.

“Well, um, Akko and I should be going now,” Diana spoke nervously. “So if you could please just – “

But when she tried to reach for her Grimoire, Badcock pulled away.

“Apologizes, Miss Cavendish,” Professor Badcock said slowly, her expression darkening, “but I don’t think you’ll be needing this any longer.” Badcocks own Grimoire – a white book with three stars – floated in the air beside her. “ **Paper Magic: White Cocoon**.”

A flood of white sheets surged from the tome, slamming Diana’s chest before the young witch could react. Diana cried out as she felt her felt her feet leave the ground, suspending her a foot in the air. The paper began to compress on her from all side, binding her arms and her feet together, covering every inch below her neck. In seconds, Diana was trapped inside a pure white cocoon with only her head exposed.

“Diana!” Akko yelped, rounding on Badcock. “Why you – “

But Badcock had summoned a giant fist made of paper that knocked Akko off her feet, throwing her back into the dirt.

“Akko!” Diana screamed, leering at Badcock. “Why are you doing this?”

“Why?” Professor Badcock sneered. “You, a privileged spoiled brat, have the nerve to ask me ‘why’? Do you understand how degrading it is, forced to watch a bunch of snot-nosed, undeserving brats receive better Grimoires year after year? Having to sit back and watch as they move on to bigger and better things while I’m forced to stay in this dead-end job? It’s enough to drive anyone up the wall! But now that I have this” – she held up Diana’s Grimoire – “I can finally leave this crappy school and start living the life I deserve.”

“But it’s pointless for you to steal that,” said Diana. “The only one – “

“The only one who can use a Grimoire is the one it chose,” Professor Badcock interrupted. “You think I don’t know that, you stupid girl? I’ve been forced to do this damnable Acceptance Ceremony for years. However, there are plenty of underground collectors who would be willing to pay a fortune for a Six-Star Grimoire. Enough for me to start over somewhere better than this wretched place.”

“You can’t!” Diana yelled, struggling in vain against her bindings.

“Oh, but I can,” said Professor Badcock. “A Six-Star Grimoire may have chosen you, but you only just received it. There’s nothing you can do to stop me. I honestly pity you. Your legend is going to end before it even begins. So sa – GAH!”

The elderly witch cried out as she was suddenly tackled from the side and thrown face down into the grass. Professor Badcock spat out the few crumbs of dirt that had gotten into her mouth when she realized that her hands were empty – the Six-Star Grimoire was missing!

The old woman flipped around, sitting up, and leered when she spotted Akko standing close by, sporting a bloody nose and clutching Diana’s Grimoire protectively against her chest.

“If you think I’m going to let you take this, you’re dead wrong!” Akko yelled. “This is Diana’s Grimoire! She earned it!”

“You filthy commoner,” Professor Badcock sneered, rising to her feet. “You dare lay a hand on me. You should learn your place. Give me that Grimoire – _now!_ ”

“Did you not just hear what I said?!” Akko snapped. “A Grimoire is precious to the person who received it! You have no right to take it!”

“I don’t want to hear that from some lowly commoner who wasn’t good enough to get one herself,” Professor Badcock spat.

The old witch’s Grimoire flipped to a new page and radiated with a white glow. Dozens of gigantic sheets of paper materialized in the air, curling inward until they resembled javelins. Diana gasped in terror and yelled, “Akko, run!”

“Too late!” Professor Badcock cried.

With a casual wave of her hand, the elderly witch threw the paper spears at Akko.

The Japanese shrieked in a panic and threw herself sideways out of the way of the first paper spear, which stabbed the ground with enough force to bury it halfway into the dirt. She rolled back to dodge another javelin, landing on her butt, and quickly spread her legs just as another paper projectile pierced the spot, sending a thrill of panic up Akko’s spine. She looked up briefly to spot another javelin shooting toward her head and rolled sideways, escaping with only a few hairs clipped off her ponytail.

Akko tucked and bound back to her feet as the paper spears chased her. She dashed in a big circle around Badcock, narrowly dodging her spells, leering at the old woman. If she could just get close enough, maybe she could grab Badcock’s Grimoire; that would automatically cancel out all her magic. Perhaps if she just –

Akko’s train of thought was broken when she felt a sharp pain through her ankle, causing the Japanese to tumble into the ground. Akko winced with a pained groan as she turned on her side slowly and looked at her left foot. A sheet of rolled up paper, barely larger than a pencil, was sticking out of the side of her ankle, a thin river of crimson rolling down her skin.

No longer able to run, Akko was defenseless as Badcock’s paper javelins rained down on her from above. One speared through her right thigh while another stabbed her in the left shoulder and a third one jabbed her in the side, barely missing any vital organs. Akko bit down hard on her tongue to stop herself from crying out, not wanting to give the elderly witch the satisfaction of seeing her in pain. But it was hard – very, very hard…

“That was an absurd waste of time,” Professor Badcock spat as she approached. “You should have known better than to fight back against a witch, commoner. Now, give me that Grimoire – “

But when she tried to reach for it, Akko crossed her arms over the book and brought her knees up to her chest, curling her whole body around the book. Irritated, Professor Badcock plunged another paper spear into Akko’s hip. The Japanese girl grimaced, but did not budge.

“This is getting ridiculous,” Professor Badcock said exasperatedly. “Give up the Grimoire now while you still have your life.”

“Akko, just do what she says!” Diana cried fretfully. “Just give her the Grimoire! It’s not worth it!”

“…never,” Akko hissed.

Professor Badcock was stunned by the reply. She took a step back as Akko, despite her many grievous injuries, starting to pull herself up inch by inch. She crawled to her hands and knees, gnashing her teeth as the pain flared through her veins, then slowly rose to her feet. She panted heavily with effort, holding Diana’s precious Grimoire to her chest.

“We made…a promise,” Akko breathed. “We promised…that we would both become…amazing witches…just like our idol…. Just like Shiny Chariot….” She raised her head, and Badcock actually felt a slight tremor as Akko glared at her with the fury of a thousand suns. “We’ve come so far…. We only just started our journey…. So there’s no way…I’m letting some coconut head… steal your Grimoire….”

“Coconut head?” Professor Badcock repeated absurdly, self-consciously touching her hair.

“We are definitely…going to become…amazing witches,” Akko continued strongly. “No matter what it takes…I’m never giving up…on our dream…. Because…a Believing Heart…is _OUR_ magic!”

What happened next…Akko couldn’t exactly explain….

As she stared down the rogue teacher, ready to defend Diana’s Grimoire with her life, an explosion of white-hot light burst in the air in front of her. Professor Badcock screamed with a fright, throwing her arms over her face to shield her eyes from the rays. But Akko, despite how intense the light was, staring into the beam without blinking.

She felt a strange sense of warmth coming over her – all her aches and pains suddenly vanished like they never existed. It took a moment for her to realize that all of the paper javelins that were sticking in her had evaporate into nothingness. And it wasn’t just her, but the paper cocoon binding Diana had also disappeared, dropping the English girl on to her hands and knees. Just like Akko, Diana stared into the light without any harmful effects, unlike Badcock, who was backing away like she was being burned.

A dark shape was forming inside the light; it was thin and rectangular. It was only when the light started to dim moments later that they could see it proper.

It was a book – no, a Grimoire. A Grimoire was floating in front of Akko’s face, waiting for her to take it. The cover was smooth as silk and white as snow, its binding made from gleaming gold. And scattered across the face were not five, not six, but _seven_ lime-green, four-point stars.

A wave of nostalgia, combined with equal parts astonishment and bewilderment, washed over the girls.

“No way,” Diana muttered softly. “Shiny Chariot’s….

“…Seven-Star Grimoire,” Akko breathed.

The Grimoire – Akko’s Grimoire – flew open, flipping wildly through the pages until it stopped in the middle. The tome flashed with a lime-green glow and an object began to materialize from the pages, rising like a drawn sword. A gilded staff adorned with seven crystals in a specific pattern. Akko had seen this staff many times in her dreams for the past ten years, but she never once imagined it would appear for _her_.

“The Shiny Rod…,” Akko said softly, her voice barely a whisper.

Akko lifted her hand toward the staff, anxious, afraid that she would suddenly wake up and realize it was all a dream. But as her finger’s slowly curled around the base, the Japanese girl felt something surge down her arm and swell up in the middle of her chest – something she couldn’t describe. All of her fears and worries were blown away like sand in the wind, filling her heart with happiness and hope….

Akko’s mind briefly flashed back to that day ten years ago….

“W-what do you think you’re playing at?!” Professor Badcock’s screech broke through her thoughts. Akko looked up. The old woman looked like she was trying to be brave, but her face showed nothing but unadulterated fear. “You – you think you can pull one over on me?! I’ve never heard of a Seven-Star Grimoire before! That book is obviously a fake! You’re just trying to trick me!”

“No, the Seven-Star Grimoire is very real,” Badcock gasped and turned toward Diana, who was staring open-mouthed at the mythical tome. “I’ve spent years studying it. It’s history’s first Grimoire, written by the first witch, Woodward. Unlike normal Grimoires that turn to ash when their owners die, the Seven-Star Grimoire passes on to the next worthy successor. Its appearances are so rare that its existence fell into legend. But in every single legend, they always say the same thing: The Seven-Star Grimoire…has the power of a God.”

“You…you expect me to believe that load?” Professor Badcock stammered, now visibly shaking, turning back to Akko. “This commoner…the power of a God? You… _you liar!_ ”

In her panic, the elderly witch accidentally summoned several dozen paper javelins and launched them at Akko all at once. They did not even make it halfway to their target before the Shiny Rod’s crystals flashed, unleashing a pulse of lime-green energy which turned the volley into harmless dust. Professor Badcock shrieked, stumbling backward with a terrified face and ended up tripping over herself as a result.

Akko’s Grimoire turned unaided again and stopped on a random page, words suddenly filling up the blank space as if written by an invisible hand. The language was one she had never seen before, but Akko could read it as if it were plain Japanese, and her eyes widened at what was written.

“This is…,” she muttered shockingly.

“N-now hold on a second,” Professor Badcock trembled, holding up her hands in surrender. “M-maybe we can make a deal. How about we split the profits 50-50?”

She still hasn’t learned her lesson, Akko thought with a glare. Maybe she should teach her one…

After tucking Diana’s Grimoire safely in the hood of her jacket, Akko grasped the Shiny Rod with both hands and held it out at arm’s length. She felt a surge of something move from her chest, gliding up her arms, and spill into the staff through her fingers. The top most crystal flashed gold and the Shiny Rod unraveled into several threads of light, spinning wildly, until they weaved together into a new shape. What had once been a staff was now a gilded bow with a silver string that looked like a beam of moonlight. Just like the one she saw ten years ago….

Akko’s fingers glided smoothly to the string and pulled; there was surprisingly little tension. An arrow of lime-green energy materialized on the string, radiating with the intensity of a raging fire. It felt alive – it wanted to be released – wanted to consume. Well, then that’s what she’ll do, Akko thought….

“ ** _Light Magic_** ,” cried Akko. “ ** _Shiny Arc_** _!_ ”

She released the string and was nearly bowled over by the shock wave that followed. The arrow soared across the hill toward Badcock, who screamed in fear and threw her hands over her head, but then curved in the air. Instead, it aimed for Badcock’s Grimoire, stabbing through the tome like a hot knife through butter. Badcock’s white Grimoire briefly turned an unhealthy shade of black before it dissolved into ash, carried away by the winds….

Akko’s spell curved again and shot straight into the air above the tower….

* * *

And while all of this was taking place, Professor Holbrooke and Professor Finnelan were sitting peacefully at a nearby outdoor café for afternoon tea.

“It’s nice to get out every once and a while,” said Professor Holbrooke serenely. “Luna Nova can be a little stuffy at times, don’t you think?”

“As long as you don’t overindulge in it,” said Professor Finnelan stiffly, taking a sip of her tea. She looked around for a moment. “Where is Professor Badcock? It’s not like her to be this late.”

“Maybe a new Nightfall book was just released and she wanted to be the first in line,” Professor Holbrooke suggested playfully.

“I cannot understand how a woman her age can find those novels so fascinating,” said Professor Finnelan.

The stiff teacher raised the tea to her lips for another sip when she was started by an explosion, spilling her drink all down her front. Professor Holbrooke, on the other hand, did not seem remotely surprised as she tilted her head back to the sky. A shower of colorful fireworks illuminated the sleepy town, drawing everyone outside to look up in its splendor.

Professor Finnelan, however, was glaring at the display in anger as she dabbed her uniform with napkins.

“What in the name of the Olde Witches is that?!” she yelled furiously.

“Well, I suppose we’ll have to find out, won’t we?” said Professor Holbrooke calmly. “Check please!”

* * *

Diana rose to her feet, looking up at the fireworks in the same child-like wonderment as she did ten years ago.

Professor Badcock was lying flat on the ground. Akko’s spell hadn’t touched her, but the sheer terror of the experience had caused her to fall unconscious, foaming at the mouth. The Shiny Rod returned to its natural form in Akko’s hands, the strange energy returning to her chest and staying there like a warm fire. With its power no longer required, the Seven-Star Grimoire floated gently down into Akko’s free hand and went inert.

Akko marveled at the tome…. The Seven-Star Grimoire – the same one used by her idol – had chosen her….

“Akko…” The Japanese looked up as Diana approached her, a soft smile on her lips. “Akko…I can’t believe it. Shiny Chariot’s Grimoire…it chose you. That’s – that’s amazing! I can’t believe it!”

“Me neither!” Akko burst out happily, spinning around with her new items raised above her head.

“I got my own Grimoire! And it’s the same one that Shiny Chariot used to have! And the Shiny Rod – oh my god, I got the Shiny Rod! This is the greatest day of my life!”

“Speaking of Grimoires,” said Diana, giggling at her best friend’s antics. “Mind giving me back mine?”

Akko stopped on the spot, laughing sheepishly and scratching the back of her head with the Shiny Rod. The Japanese girl reached back into her hood, grabbing Diana’s Six-Star Grimoire and handing it back to its owner.

“For you, M’lady,” Akko said with a haughty English accent.

“ _Arigatou gozaimasu_ ,” Diana replied in perfect Japanese as she accepted the book.

But their happy little moment was quickly interrupted when they heard a pair of hurried footsteps running up the hillside.

Professor Holbrooke and Professor Finnelan had just arrived; the latter looking winded while the former barely broke a sweat. The elderly witches looked between the young girls covered in dirt and scratches, to Professor Badcock lying on the ground unconscious. This did not paint a pretty picture….

“Professor Badcock!” Professor Finnelan gasped. “Wha – what happened here?! Explain yourselves!”

“Uh – I – we - !” Akko panicked, but Diana thankfully intervened.

“Professor Badcock attacked us!” she proclaimed urgently. “She tried to steal my Grimoire and was planning to sell it!”

“I see,” said Professor Holbrooke, not batting an eye at the accusation. “I knew Samantha was greedy, but I never imagined she would take it this far…. Were you the one who defeated her, Miss Cavendish?”

“No, she captured me before I had the chance,” Diana shook her head. “Akko was the one who saved me.”

“Her?” said Professor Finnelan, glancing at the Japanese skeptically. “She bested Professor Badcock’s paper magic? Without a Grimoire?”

“I do have a Grimoire!” Akko declared proudly, holding up the tome. “My new Seven-Star Grimoire!”

“Huh?” said Professor Finnelan in disbelief. “Seven stars? Don’t be absurd. A Grimoire can only have six stars at most. That book is clearly a fake – “

“It is too real!” Akko shouted defensively. “It’s the same Grimoire Shiny Chariot had! Look! I even have Shiny Chariot’s Shiny Rod! See?!”

“You think I’m foolish enough to – “

“That’s enough, Anne,” said Professor Holbrooke quietly, but it shut Finnelan up immediately.

The small headmistress readjusted her glasses and fixed Akko with an intense stare; the Japanese girl felt mildly uncomfortable. Though Holbrooke’s experienced eye, she could see a gigantic lime-green aura surrounding the young girl – one that had not been there during the Acceptance Ceremony. And there was something else; something that caused Holbrooke’s gaze to widen.

Unseen by everyone else, a tall figure was standing behind Akko. A pale-skinned woman who appeared human, but at the same time wasn’t. She had hair the color of fresh leaves flowing down her back like a waterfall, sprouting flowering wooden horns from the sides of her head. The ethereal woman met the headmistress’s gaze; a look of understanding suddenly crossed Holbrooke’s face and she chuckled under her breath.

“I see…so that’s how it is,” said Professor Holbrooke, much to the confusion of the others. She turned her attention back to Akko and Diana. “Well, you two should be going now. I imagine you both are tired after such a harrowing experience. I look forward to seeing you both at Luna Nova next week.”

The girls gasped and smiled brightly at the implication. She wanted to see them both – she had accepted Akko!

“Thank you very much, professor!” they cried, bowing gratefully in unison.

“Oh, think nothing of it,” said Professor Holbrooke brightly. She glanced sideways at Professor Badcock. Holbrooke waved her hand in a small circle and the elderly witch suddenly transformed into a teal marble, flying into Holbrooke’s waiting hand. Akko and Diana were surprised by this; she didn’t even use her Grimoire! “We shall make sure that Samantha is delivered to the proper authorities. Come along, Anne.”

Professor Finnelan shot Akko one last scrutinizing leer before following the headmistress….

Which left Akko and Diana standing alone at the top of the hill.

“We did it,” Diana murmured softly. “We both received our Grimoires. Now we’re both official witches, just like we promised.”

“It’s not over yet,” said Akko, grinning. “We’re going to be the best witches Luna Nova has ever seen. Just as great – no, even better than Shiny Chariot. We’re going to be amazing witches that bring hope and happiness to everyone. And…,” she clenched her fist with determination, “I’m going to show everyone that you don’t need to be born special to achieve your dream! I’m going to show all of them that even commoners like me can be a great witch!”

“I know you will,” said Diana sincerely. “Your strong and stubborn and foolishly brave. You can do anything as long as you believe in it with all your heart…. Just one of the many reasons why I fell in love with you.”

Akko’s cheeks became warm as a dopey smile crossed her lips. She felt Diana’s hand subtly slip into her own, interlocking their fingers. The Japanese turned to her oldest friend, her closest friend, the one person she shared all her heart with, shimmering blue eyes meeting warm red.

Akko closed her eyes as the two of them leaned closer under the warm setting sun….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you love this story, then please share some of that love with my other story.


	3. The Luna Nova Entrance Exam

Headmistress Miranda Holbrooke sat at her desk, humming a cheerful little song under her breath as she traced her old-fashioned feathered quill across the paper in front of her.

Holbrooke’s office wasn’t as impressive as one might think regarding the headmistress of one of the only four magic schools in the world. It was minimalist with only a mahogany desk at the end of a long carpet and a couple oil paintings on either wall, including one that appeared incomplete, lack a face entirely. The most notable thing about her office were the nine statues lines up in a row behind her – nine archaic witches hats representing the founders of Luna Nova and the first witches in history: The Nine Olde Witches.

As professor Holbrooke dipped her quill into the inkwell beside her hand, she briefly glanced up, looking bored at the woman who had been pacing in front of her desk for the last ten minutes.

Professor Finnelan must have been waiting for her since last night, Professor Holbrooke thought, because she found the severe teacher standing outside her door first thing when she came in for work. Professor Holbrooke only half-listened as Professor Finnelan raved on for what felt like hours, not even noticing that the headmistress wasn’t paying attention. Professor Holbrooke didn’t need to listen to know what Finnelan was harping about: Atsuko Kagari, the commoner who received a Grimoire just last week and Luna Nova’s first student from a non-witch family.

“ – unprecedented!” Professor Finnelan howled. “You know I have nothing but the utmost respect for you, Headmistress, but allowing a commoner into Luna Nova – “

“She received a Grimoire the same as everyone else,” Professor Holbrooke answered, sounding exasperated as she returned her quill to paper. “The rules state that anyone with a Grimoire can, and will, be accepted into Luna Nova, as long as they wish to learn. We cannot reject her simply because of which family she was born into.”

“But what will others say?!” Professor Finnelan spat. “What would people think if they knew Luna Nova was accepting _commoners_?!”

“I would hope that it would encourage others from non-magical families to try obtaining Grimoire’s for themselves,” Professor Holbrooke said without missing a beat. “Magic is a wonderful thing, Anne, and it’s something that should be shared with everyone, not just exclusive to certain people. Witches exist to bring safety and happiness to the world, or at least, that’s what I would like to believe. And our dear Magic Empress believes the same. You’re not saying the Magic Empress is wrong, are you?”

“I’m certainly questioning how an unruly girl like her ever rose to become Empress,” Professor Finnelan grumbled with an unimpressed look. “You remember what a nightmare she was in school.”

Professor Holbrooke chortled, “Yes, she was certainly a handful. But she embodied what I believe are the best parts of witches. I admit I see a little bit of her in Miss Kagari as well.”

Holbrooke dabbed the last period of her note and looked over the message she had written. Satisfied, the Headmistress waved her hand across the paper and the note folded in on itself until it resembled a paper crane. The paper bird came to life, flapping its tiny wings and raised itself off the desk. Professor Holbrooke rose from her chair, walked over to the window, and opened it for the paper crane to fly out. Holbrooke watched her message take off into the sky for a moment before closing the window and returning to her seat, finding a perplexed-looking Finnelan.

“What was that just now?” She asked curiously.

“Oh, just delivering some good news to an old friend,” Professor Holbrooke answered cryptically.

* * *

The girl in question, Atsuko Kagari, lay sprawled out in her bed, snoring so loudly that the neighbors had banged on the wall repeatedly to no avail. The Shiny Rod was gripped in her right hand near her head and her Seven-Star Grimoire lay open on her stomach, having fallen asleep looking through the rest of the blank pages.

The newly christened Japanese witch mumbled incoherently in her sleep (“…mmm, no more potatoes…”) until she felt something pressing down on her face. Her sleeping form became increasingly aware of the lack of oxygen, her body twitching until her brain finally went into full panic mode. Akko flailed her arms out until she shot straight up, knocking the obstruction away, and took deep, gasping breaths.

“Oh, good, you’re awake.”

Akko spun around with a heated glare at Diana, who was standing beside her bed holding the pillow she had used to suffocate her best friend, unashamed.

“What’s the big idea!” Akko snapped, waving the Shiny Rod around. “Are you trying to kill me!”

“It seemed like the only way to wake you up,” said Diana, tossing the pillow nonchalantly. “You are a remarkably heavy sleeper.”

“It’s not my fault,” Akko grumbled, falling back. “The beds are so comfy.”

“Beds that you are only allowed to sleep in because I let you stay here,” said Diana pointedly. At least Akko had the decency to look guilty. “Honestly, how did you not think to book a room before coming to England.”

Akko wanted to defend herself – it wasn’t her fault she didn’t know school wouldn’t start until a week after the Acceptance Ceremony – but she knew that Diana wouldn’t let any excuse fly. The Japanese was just lucky that her best friend had planned ahead and already booked a room at one of the fancier inns in Glastonbury. Akko didn’t even want to imagine where she would be if she didn’t know Diana; probably holed up in a cardboard box in some back alley like an abandoned cat.

“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter now,” Diana sighed, shaking her head. She walked over to her own bed and sat down on the edge. “Today’s the day we take Luna Nova’s entrance exam. From what I know, the teachers are going to be evaluating our magic and deciding which of the seven guilds we’ll be assigned to. Are you prepared for it?”

“I was trying to,” said Akko, pouting as she sat up and grabbed her Grimoire. “I spent all last night trying to see if I could get any new spells out of my Grimoire, but it only has the page for the Shiny Arc. The rest is completely blank.”

“A Grimoire grows with its owner,” said Diana knowledgeably. “The stronger you become, the more spells will fill its pages. Just give it a little time. Still…,” she looked at the Seven-Star Grimoire almost enviously, “it’s hard to believe you were chosen to have the Seven Stars. It’s the first Grimoire ever written and the only Grimoire in existence that can manipulate all seven of the Natural Elements of Magic.”

“Yeah, the Natural Elements,” said Akko jauntily. “Pretty cool those…things.”

“You have no idea what the Natural Elements are, do you?” said Diana blandly.

“Not a clue,” Akko admitted, laughing sheepishly.

“Well, at least you’re honest about it,” said Diana, chuckling. “The seven Natural Elements are the basis for which all magic derives from. There are the basis elements: earth, fire, wind, and water. Take Professor – I mean, former Professor Badcock’s paper magic. It might look special, but it’s actually another form of Wind Magic.

“Then there are the two advances magics: light and darkness. According to statistic, less then ten percent of witches have a chance of using magic from these two elements. That’s why anyone with a five-star Grimoire or higher tend to fall under this category. Your Shiny Arc is a light spell, which explains why it was powerful enough to destroy Badcock’s Grimoire during your battle.”

“Was destroying her Grimoire really that special?” asked Akko curiously.

“Grimoire’s are naturally protected by powerful magic,” said Diana. “It takes an equally powerful spell to destroy them without killing the owner.”

“Wow,” said Akko impressively. “But wait, you said there were seven elements. What about the last one?”

“That a bit of a mystery,” said Diana, touching her chin in a thoughtful expression. “The last element if called Aether Magic. No one knows a whole lot about it because no one has ever seen it – at least not enough to write it down. Allegedly, the only witch in history to ever use this element was the first witch Woodward. She created the Seven-Star Grimoire, so it stands to reason that, somehow, you might be able to use that element as well.”

“So I can use some super ultra-rare magic that no one else can?” Akko asked, holding up her Grimoire excitedly.

“Well, it’s only a legend,” said Diana. “There’s no confirmation that a seventh Natural Element exists, but most people accept that it does. It’s one of those mysteries of magic that witches have been trying to prove for centuries.”

“ _Sugoi_ …” Akko breathed in awe. “What about you, Diana? What magic does your Six-Star Grimoire use?”

“That…is my little secret,” Diana teased playfully.

“Eh? No fair!” Akko whined childishly. “C’mon, tell me!”

“I guess you’ll just have to find out during the entrance exams,” Diana chortled. She hopped off the bed, stretching her arms above her head. “Speaking of which, we need to be at the Luna Nova gates in an hour. Hurry up and get changed. We’ll grab a quick breakfast on the way.”

“C’mon, Diana, stop being mean!” Akko cried as the blonde Brit exited the room. “Tell me! Tell – WHOA!”

In her attempt to chase after her best friend, Akko tripped over her suitcase that she had just left lying in the middle of the floor, falling flat on her face with a pained groan.

* * *

Akko really wished Glastonbury would hurry up and get the sense to establish some public transportation. Her feet have been killing her all week!

After checking out of the inn, she and Diana had to cross the entire town to the area west of the Grimoire library. Diana was a lot more fit that she looked; Akko was sweating a waterfall under the summer heat while the British girl was barely winded. The only thing that made the trip a little bearable was chilly iced coffee and these little biscuit things served with jam called scones that Diana graciously bought for them at a café on the way (Akko also didn’t think to exchange her currency before coming to the UK either.)

After a trekking through Glastonbury for a half hour, they started to climb another small hill on the outskirts of the town along a preserved dirt road with rows of bushes on either side five feet from one another. The hedges were neatly trimmed into large circles with three triangles at the top and lower left and right points. It was the emblem of Luna Nova Academy. That meant they were on the right track.

Sure enough, as they were reaching the end of the path, a clamoring of loud, excited voices reached their ears before they saw the crowd. The witches who Akko has seen last week at the Acceptance Ceremony were all gathered in front of wrought iron gates with the Luna Nova emblem emblazoned in bronze in the center. Over the heads of the girls, past the lengthy stretch of forest beyond the gates, Akko could faintly made out the shapes of a pair of towers as tall as the Tokyo Skytree.

Akko felt Diana’s hand slip into her own, squeezing it supportively with a small smile, which Akko happily returned.

“This is it,” said Diana softly. “Our first step to becoming great witches.”

“We’re gonna be awesome,” said Akko cheerfully, pumping her free hand. “With your Six-Star Grimoire and my Seven-Star Grimoire, we’ll be the greatest power couple since Shiny Chariot!”

“You need two people to be a couple,” Diana teased. “That’s what ‘couple’ means.”

“You know what I meant!” Akko snapped, pouting.

Diana chuckled and opened her mouth to say something when someone in the crowd noticed them approach and shouted, “Hey, Diana’s here!”

Akko should have seen it coming – really, she should have – but the Japanese stood like a deer caught in the headlights as the witches swarmed them from all sides. She doesn’t know who did it, but someone shoved Akko in the face _hard_ , sending the poor girl sailing through the air and landed face first in the dirt. The scene echoed back to barely a week ago when Akko found herself in a similar state when Diana had showed up for the Acceptance Ceremony.

“Is this going to be a running gag?” Akko groaned, coming out muffled.

The Japanese ripped her head out of the dirt with an animated _pop_ , her entire face flattened and a painful shade of red. She pushed herself up to her elbows when a pair of feet stepped into her view, followed by an extended hand. Akko looked up, expecting to see Diana standing there, but it wasn’t her blonde lover.

The girl offering her help was short and plain-looking, her scruffy orange hair held down by a blue headband and her face spattered with freckles. She wore semi-rimless glasses with large lenses that seemed to magnify her teal eyes. She had a Grimoire tucked against her chest (a plain-looking navy-blue cover with three white stars), so she was definitely a witch. But unlike the girls who had shoved her aside, this girl had a kind smile as she held out her hand.

“Are you all right?” she asked softly.

“Eh, I’m used to it,” said Akko shrugging. She took the offered hand and allowed herself to be lifted up. “Thanks. Guess there are nice witches, too. I’m Atsuko Kagari, but my friends call me Akko.”

“I’m Lotte Jannson,” said Lotte Jannson, smiling softly.

They heard a couple of excited shrieks and looked back at the swarm of fangirls. Diana was putting on a brave face, but Akko could tell that she was uncomfortable with all the attention, especially when so many girls were begging to see her Six-Star Grimoire. The blonde Brit peeked through the gap in the crowd in Akko’s direction and shot her a silent plea for help. Akko raised her hands and shook her head; there was no way she was going to risk her life inside that frenzied mob; not even for her girlfriend.

“Wow, I can’t believe Diana Cavendish is actually attending Luna Nova with us,” said Lotte, looking just as awestruck as the other girls, but had more self-control. “I heard the Cavendishes were privately trained for generations, learning the secrets known only to them.”

“Yeah, Diana’s mean Aunt Daryl wanted her to do the same,” said Akko, her face scrunching up at the mention of Diana’s wicked relative, “but Diana wanted to go to Luna Nova because that’s where Shiny Chariot learned. They fought for weeks until Diana’s aunt gave in.”

“Wait…you _know_ Diana?” Lotte gasped. “I mean, you two were together at the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony and you showed up together just now. But I didn’t think….”

“We’ve been best friends since we were six,” said Akko, grinning with a playful snicker. “In fact, you could kinda say we’re a little better than best friends….”

“You? Best friends with Diana Cavendish?”

“You’re so delusional. I almost feel sorry for you.”

Akko scowled. It was the mean girls again. They broke off from the fangirl flock upon seeing Akko and approached with matching condescending sneers.

“As if _the_ Diana Cavendish would be friends with some lowly commoner like you,” said the brunette haughtily. “You’re not even worthy of licking the ground beneath her feet.”

“For that matter, what are _you_ even doing here in the first place?” said the dark-haired girl scornfully. “Don’t you know these are the gates to Luna Nova Academy? Only _witches_ are allowed on these sacred grounds.”

“She probably thought she could sneak in and pretend to be a witch,” the brunette chortled. “How tragic.”

“Didn’t you embarrass yourself enough last week when you didn’t get a Grimoire?” said the dark-haired girl, cackling.

Akko puffed out her cheeks angrily, and said with great ferocity, “I did get a Grimoire! And it’s an amazing Grimoire, too! Look!” She reached into her handbag, shuffling around the contents, until she whipped out her tome. “Behold! The Seven-Star Grimoire! Just like the one Shiny Chariot used! Whaddya gotta say about that, huh?”

Rather than impressed, the mean girls laughed so loudly they drew the attention of the crowd, including Diana, who immediately became concerned when she saw Akko confronting her bullies.

“A Seven-Star Grimoire?!” shouted the brunette, wheezing from laughing too hard. “Are you for real?!”

“Everyone knows a Grimoire can only go up to six stars!” said the dark-haired girl.

“I can’t believe you would go as far as to make a fake Grimoire!” said the brunette mockingly.

“And I thought you couldn’t get any more pathetic!” said the dark-haired girl.

Akko’s hand balled into a fist; she was tempted to pull out the Shiny Rod and go all Shiny Arc on their butts!

She wasn’t the only one. Diana’s brows creased into a dangerous scowl and started shoving her way through the crowd unapologetically, locking on to the two bullying her girlfriend. She was reaching for her Grimoire when she separated from the crowd.

Thankfully, the school gates creaked open loudly before either Akko or Diana could do something that would get them both in trouble. Professor Holbrooke emerged from the forest, readjusting her glasses and smiling politely as she looked around at the gathered girls.

“Good morning, ladies,” Professor Holbrooke greeted them kindly. “I hope you’ve all have gotten plenty of rest over the week. We have a long journey ahead of us – both physically and metaphorically. Come along now.”

The wizened woman strolled back down the path she came from and the gathered witches ambled along behind her. The mean girls shot Akko a few more reproaching looks before following, automatically smiling and waving at Diana as they walked by; Diana did not return the gesture. She walked up Akko and Lotte, the latter looking astonished that _the_ Diana Cavendish was approaching them.

“Are you okay?” Diana asked Akko, her tone laced with concern.

“Grr, I’ll show them!” Akko growled, her fist clenched with determination. “Just wait till they see me in action! I’m gonna make them eat their words with natto!”

Diana made a disgusted face. When she was twelve years old, Akko had sent Diana some natto because she wanted to know what Japanese cuisine was like. It was one of the worst experiences of her life: the sticky texture got in her hair, the awful smell stayed in her room for weeks, and she could taste the bitterness to this day.

“Let’s…not go that far,” said Diana. Then she looked sideways, only just realizing Lotte was standing there. “Oh, hello there. Are you a friend of Akko?”

“Well…I’m not sure…,” Lotte mumbled shyly. “We only just met though….”

“Aw, of course we’re friends!” said Akko cheerfully. She threw her arm around Lotte’s shoulder and pulled her close, causing the orangette to squeak in surprise. “This is Lotte! She’s super nice! Lotte, this is Diana! She’s super smart and pretty!”

“You don’t have to say it like that,” said Diana, tucking her hair behind her ear embarrassingly, but was smiling nonetheless. She held out her hand to Lotte, saying, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lotte. Any friend of Akko’s is a friend of mine.”

“T-Thanks,” Lotte mumbled, not believing she was shaking hands with _the_ Diana Cavendish.

“Hurry up, ladies!” The girls jumped and spun around, realizing that Professor Holbrooke and the other girls were standing around waiting on them. “We’re burning daylight!”

“Oh, sorry, our mistake!” Diana replied sheepishly. She slipped her hand into Akko’s and started tugging her along. “Shall we be off then?”

Akko grinned excitedly and started running beside her blonde lover, but not before grabbing Lotte’s hand and pulling her along with them, nearly making the bespectacled girl trip over herself trying to match their pace.

The trek through the forest path was a peaceful one. A few people spoke in excited whispers to one another, but almost everyone was silently looking around in awe and contained excitement. The forest looked normal enough, but it _felt_ like something…extraordinary was hidden behind the trees. Akko felt a tingle riding up and down her spine when she first stepped through the gates, and the feeling only intensified as they got farther in. There was no doubt in Akko’s mind: the forest was teeming with magic from the ground to the very air itself. At one point, Akko thought she saw a tiny glowing fairy hiding in the branches, but when she blinked, it was gone.

They were reaching the edge of the forest when a few of the girls started making oohing sounds and Akko looked up.

The path opened up to a magnificently detailed white castle at least the size of the Japan National Stadium. In the background behind the castle was the massive tower Akko had seen from the gate, which she now noticed had a brilliant emerald glow at the top.

“Welcome to Luna Nova Magical Academy,” said Professor Holbrooke, leading them through the roundabout and up the front steps. “This is where you will be spending the next three years, learning not only how to control your magic, but learning about yourselves. I hope you all come to see Luna Nova as your home as I have.”

She led them through the entryway and along the expansive hallways that circled around the grassy courtyard. Akko was practically buzzing with excitement; so much that Diana and Lotte had to grab her by the shoulders to keep her from bouncing. She finally made it! To Luna Nova Academy! The school that trained Shiny Chariot! Akko pinched her own cheek to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. It hurt – a lot.

As they walked along the corridors, they saw a few magical creatures dressed in salmon-colored overalls and little caps with the Luna Nova crest. It seemed like the magical creatures worked as the custodians in Luna Nova: a couple goblins were moping the hallways, a minotaur came down the stairs carrying a basket of laundry, and a very surly-looking cyclops was carrying six bags of trash across the courtyard. Magical creatures were nothing new to Akko – one of her friends back in Japan had a pet kitsune named Oboro – but it was pretty cool to see.

They followed Professor Holbrooke to the back of the school where they exited to a winding path outside. They crossed a stone bridge over a small river that seemed to pass through the school and continued to follow the path until they came to what looked like a sports field.

The grounds were the same size a football (soccer, to the uncultured) field and was marked in a similar way, but there were no goal posts. Instead, there was a long table on the sidelines clothed in purple with the Luna Nova crest and six chairs. It reminded Akko of the judging table from her middle school talent show (which she did terribly every year.)

Professor Holbrooke stepped away from the group, approaching the table, and turned to face them.

“Now I’m sure you’re all eager to start learning magic,” said Professor Holbrooke. “But before we do that, we need to decide which guild you will be in. Here at Luna Nova, we assign students to guilds to teach them about community and camaraderie. While you are in Luna Nova, your guild will be like your family, so treat them right and they will treat you in kind.

“Luna Nova has seven guilds, each with their own rich history. The guilds are Royal Regulus, Jade Mimosa, Saffron Shaula, Purple Pollux, Amber Canopus, Grey Gienah, and Crimson Ankaa. Joining a guild will open many doors after you graduate from Luna Nova just as well as getting good grades. Make friends and make connections for the future.

“Now I’m sure you’re tired of listening to this old woman ramble on,” she said, chuckling amusingly. “So why don’t we introduce your guild heads so that we may begin the entrance exam?”

Professor Holbrooke tilted her head back, staring up into the sky. The young witches followed her line of sight, gaping when they noticed several figures floating above their heads. Five women, each of varying degrees of age, hovered in the sky straddling broomsticks, all of them garbed the same uniform that Professor Finnelan and Badcock had worn last week. This must be them, Akko thought: the teachers of Luna Nova.

One by one, the teachers slowly descended to the ground behind the clothed table and started taking their seats. The first one Akko instantly recognized: Professor Finnelan, still carrying that strict, no-nonsense scowl as she looked over her potential students with a critical gaze.

“Starting off is the head of Saffron Shaula, Professor Anne Finnelan,” Professor Holbrooke introduced.

“Ugh, not her again,” Akko groaned. “I hope I don’t end up in her guild. She totally hates me.”

“She doesn’t even know you, Akko,” said Diana calmly. “Don’t be so dramatic.”

“I’m not dramatic, you are!” said Akko, crossing her arms and pouting.

The next to come down was someone who seemed to embody every witch stereotype: a stooped old woman with long grey hair, a large pointed nose, and big bulging eyes.

“The head of Grey Gienah, Professor Lukić,” Professor Holbrooke announced.

“Ew, she’s so creepy,” someone hissed in the crowd.

“She looks like she eats rats for dinner.”

“I don’t want to end up in her guild!”

The next teacher to float down to the table wore the same uniform as the other teachers, but had modified it to her liking. Donning a pair of pilot's goggles, an aviator's cap, a pair of tanned gloves, and a parachute on her back, Akko got the sense that she was someone who specialized in flying.

She was carrying something under her arm and set it down on the table next to her before taking her seat. It was a fishbowl, and inside was a colorful yellow-and-turquoise goldfish. Said goldfish had apparently been fitted with its own pointed hat, which Akko found really cute.

“And here we have Professor Nelson from Purple Pollux and Professor Piscus of Jade Mimosa,” said Professor Holbrooke.

“Is that a…goldfish?”

“How can a goldfish be a teacher?”

“Well, it is a magic school, I guess....”

“Now, normally, this would be the part where I would introduce Professor Badcock, who is head of Amber Canopus,” said Professor Holbrooke. “But, owing to special…circumstances – “

“Like she’s a thieving rat,” Akko muttered, which earned her an elbow in the ribs courtesy of Diana.

“We had to let her go,” Professor Holbrooke continued uninterrupted. She walked around the table, taking a seat in one of the empty chairs. “So until we can find a suitable replacement, I will be filling in as Amber Canopus’s head. Moving on, we have Professor Ursula Callistis, head of Crimson Ankaa.”

The next to float down was significantly younger than her colleagues, barely looking older than her late twenties. She had lengthy dark-blue hair tied in a ponytail over her shoulder and wore blackframed glasses that reflected the light of the sun off her lenses. She had a kind face and waved politely as she stepped off her broom, but caught her ankle on the brush and tripped over on the table. The teachers quickly grabbed the table to stabilize it and Professor Finnelan shot a nasty glare at Professor Ursula, who muttered a sheepish apology as she sat down.

“She’s a teacher? She can’t even walk on her own two feet.”

“What do you expect? Crimson Ankaa is a guild for rejects that nobody wants.”

“A loser teacher for a loser guild.”

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Akko said, glaring into the crowd. “All she did was trip. Everyone does it. They can’t judge her based on that.”

“Just ignore them, Akko,” said Lotte, though she only said it halfheartedly. Akko frowned, but said nothing.

“And last, but certainly not least,” Professor Holbrooke continued dramatically, “the head of Royal Regulus, Professor Croix Meridies.”

Akko nearly jumped out of her skin when the crowd suddenly broke out into excited shrieks and cheers. Everyone seemed very enthusiastic about this teacher, and as Akko looked up to the last of the brooms descending, she could kind understand why.

Unlike the other teachers, Croix was standing up on her broom, arms crossed in a cool pose like she was showing off on purpose. She had also forgone the traditional teacher’s uniform and wore a complex suit of greys, whites, and reds with billowing scarlet cape wrapped around her shoulders. Croix herself was just as young as Professor Ursula with a pale complexion and short, wavy lavender hair swept to the left. And as she casually stepped off her broom, Croix removed her sunglasses with a dramatic flair, flashing her glimmering teal eyes at the crowd; the girls screamed twice as loud.

“Whoa! What’s going on with them?!” yelped Akko, panicking as she looked around.

“It’s Croix Meridies,” breathed Diana, looking equally starstruck as Croix took her seat between Professor Holbrooke and Professor Ursula. “She really is a teacher here.”

“Is…she famous or something?” asked Akko, suddenly feeling very stupid.

“You mean you don’t know?” said Lotte surprisingly. “Croix Meridies was a candidate to become the Magic Empress two years ago, but she lost in favor of the current Empress. She’s a genius in both magic and science. She graduated top of her class at Luna Nova Academy, earned several degrees in science and technology, and has over a hundred patents in magic-based inventions. And according to rumors, Croix even wrote her own Grimoire – the first person in hundreds of years to do so.”

“Whoa… _sugoi_ …,” Akko breathed softly as the weight of Croix’s accomplishments came down on her.

“She is largely considered the only person in the world who could rival the current Magic Empress,” said Diana. “I can’t believe someone as amazing as her is a teacher….”

However, not everyone seemed impressed with the young prodigy.

“Was that little show of yours necessary?” Professor Finnelan said to Croix with blatant disapproval. “You’re a teacher now, Meridies, so you should start acting like one.”

“You mean having a broomstick stuck up my butt like you,” Croix teased; Finnelan’s eyes flashed angrily. “No thanks.”

“Now, now, let’s all calm down for a bit,” said Professor Ursula, an anxious sweatdrop rolling down her forehead. “Let’s set that aside for now and focus on the children. This is an important exam that will decide their futures, after all. We should give them our undivided attention.”

“Always have to be the peacemaker,” said Croix, chuckling good-naturedly. “All right, no more showing off. I promise I’ll take this very seriously.”

Professor Finnelan looked like she had more to say, but chose to stay quiet, resorting to leering at Croix out of the corner of her eye. After a few moments of waiting for the student’s chatter to die down, Professor Holbrooke rose from her chair.

“Witches,” said Professor Holbrooke resolutely. “Since the original nine discovered the secrets of magic centuries ago, witches have been the proud protectors of the world, using our rare gifts to bring happiness and security to all. For that purpose, Luna Nova was erected alongside three other schools of magic to train future generations. Many great names have walked through these halls, and now it is your turn to follow in their footsteps. I know that each and every one of you has a gift to offer to the world, and I hope your time in Luna Nova will help you find it.

“And now, without further delays, we will begin the Luna Nova Entrance Exam. The exam will consist of several tests that you will undertake. The seven of us will evaluate your performances, and then we will select the students that we would like to add to our guilds. If chosen, you will join that guild. If you are chosen by more than one teacher, you may choose which guild you would like to join. By the end of the day, every single student will be assigned a guild – no one will be excluded, I promise you.

“Now, for your first test,” said Professor Holbrooke, snapping her fingers.

Puffs of white smoke exploded in front of each student, materializing into brooms for them to take. Akko was still impressed by Holbrooke’s magic as she had been last week. She never pulled out her Grimoire or even recited an incantation. She was powerful, Akko could tell.

“For your first exam, we will have you get on those brooms and fly,” Professor Holbrooke explained. “Witches who can control their magical powers should be able to do this instinctively. It is the most basic way for witches for witches to travel…. Now then, please begin.”

The crowd scrambled around the field like cockroaches, trying to put enough space between themselves so that they wouldn’t be distracted or bump into each other. One by one, the students straddled the brooms and put all of their concentration into flying. After a few seconds, most of them were able lift there feet off the ground by a few inches, though some ended up getting bucked off and even a few found themselves hanging upside-down. But in a matter of minutes, everyone was now flying.

“Just by observing this, we can get a good idea of what kind of witches they are,” said Professor Nelson quietly. “There are quite a few talented ones this year.”

“And take a guess at who’s standing at the top,” Croix said amusingly.

Unsurprisingly, Diana was flying at least ten feet above everyone else, gently floating along with an expression that said she was bored.

“Hey, not bad, Princess.” Diana looked around and realized she wasn’t the only one up here. There was another girl – a tomboyish girl with burning-orange hair – standing on her broom like Croix had done. “Guess that fancy name of yours isn’t just for show after all.”

“Diana is a given, but that girl also has natural talent,” said Professor Lukić. “This might be the best batch of candidates since your year, Professor Croix.”

“You flatter me,” said Croix. “Diana is probably more of a natural prodigy than I was…. That being said….”

All seven teachers looked away from the flock of witches hovering overhead…and stared in disbelief at the only girl who was still planted on the ground. And that girl was Akko.

The Japanese witch looked like she was about to pop a vessel. She was straddling the broom like everyone else, but the cleaning implement refused to move for her. She gritted her teeth furiously and even started jumping around like a rapid baboon, thinking it would somehow help her take off, but nothing happened. Professor Ursula actually sweatdropped when the poor girl landed on her feet wrong and fell sideways, smacking her face into the ground.

“That’s…something you don’t see every day,” said Ursula awkwardly.

“What is the meaning of this?” said Professor Finnelan with great disdain. “No matter how much one might be lacking in talent, they should at least be able to float.”

“That’s…kind of impressive in its own way,” said Professor Nelson slowly.

And, of course, the mean girls immediately picked up on Akko’s failings and couldn’t resist flying over.

“Talk about pathetic,” said the brunette.

“You’ll be the first person to get kicked out of Luna Nova before school even started!” the dark-haired girl cackled.

“Grr, just laugh it up!” Akko roared, shaking her fist at them. “So what if I can’t ride a broom! I’ll just ace the rest of the exams! Just you watch!”

The rest of the exams…did _not_ go so well.

The next text was a magical ability exam where they had to throw a concentrated burst of magical energy at a row of training dummies lined up on the sidelines without using their Grimoire. Diana sliced her dummy straight down the middle with merely a motion of her fingers. Akko, on the other hand, just looked like an idiot waving her hands around without laying a scratch on the dummy. It was even worse when the plump girl eating out of the bucket beside her completely _obliterated_ her dummy into a fine powder with a simple hand wave.

The next exam had been about controlling their magic by shooting at paper targets the teachers had flying around in the air randomly. Diana shot bull’s-eye after bull’s-eye, making it look effortless, while Akko got knocked off her feet when one of the papers slapped her in the face. At the same time, a short girl with a perma-scowl on her face whipped out some type of device that morphed into a shotgun, blasting the papers out of the air with magic bullets. There’s no way that’s legal!

The fourth exam required creation magic: the ability to morph their magic into a physical manifestation. Diana effortlessly weaved an eight-foot unicorn – the symbol of the Cavendish house – without breaking a sweat, but Akko just stood around, trying to will something into existence with no results to show for it. The Japanese girl watched jealously as Diana’s unicorn cantered alongside an African girl’s magic cheetah, the caster apparently trying to entice the Cavendish heir into an interview.

And finally came the development magic test where the students were each given a seed and told to use their magic to make it bloom. Diana’s was obviously the best one out of the whole bunch as she made her seed blossom into a colorful bouquet of red carnations. And Akko, as everyone expected, had spent the last five minutes yelling at her seed to _grow already!_ The only positive the Japanese found in this exam was that Lotte had done exceptionally well as she sang to her seed and watched it sprout into a daisy. She had a really pretty voice.

“You have all done well thus far,” Professor Holbrooke said to the students after Professor Lukić collected their seeds. “The next test will be the last one. You will engage in actual combat.”

A hush of uncertain chatter passed between the students, several of them look apprehensive.

“While I’m sure most of you have no intention of pursuing careers that require it,” said Professor Finnelan, “all witches must know how to use their magic for battle. As many good witches as there might be in the world, there are just as many bad ones who would abuse their power. You must know how to fight, not only to protect yourself, but your loved ones as well.”

“That being said, you will all pair off and fight with your partner,” said Professor Holbrooke. “You will be allowed to use your Grimoires. As soon as one of you yields or becomes unable to fight, the exam will be over. All the teachers here are trained in healing magic, so don’t be afraid to give it your all.”

Crap, Akko thought to herself, feeling a rush of panic take over. All she had been doing so far was flail around like an idiot. She has to stand out in this last exam or those mean girls would be right and she could get kicked out! She needs to find someone strong to beat!

Her first thought was Diana. She was definitely the strongest one here, which explained why most people were giving a wide berth this time; the results of this last exam would affect their evaluation, so they couldn’t afford to lose against a seemingly unbeatable opponent. Akko thought she might have a shot – she only knew one spell, but it was a pretty powerful one – but she didn’t want to risk ruining Diana’s chances of getting into a good guild either. So she started looking for another opponent when she saw something that made her blood boil.

A green-haired Latina girl was looming over Lotte like a cat that had just cornered a mouse. Lotte looked largely uncomfortable as the Latina pushed into her personal space, saying something that was making Lotte hug her Grimoire with a miserable expression. Fury swelling up in her belly, Akko stomped over to them until she was close enough to hear what they were saying:

“ – being so hard to get,” said the Latina in a condescending voice. “Just hurry up and fight me so I can look good in front of the teachers.”

“Please…,” Lotte murmured sadly. “Just leave me alone….”

“C’mon, it’s not like you’re going to get into any of the good guilds anyway,” the Latina scoffed. “You and your pathetically weak Three-Star Grimoire. The only thing you’ll be good for in making others look better by comparison. Got it, you plain-looking nobody? Hurry up and face me so I can get into Royal Regulus and you can go on living your worthless life.”

“Please…,” Lotte mumbled, tears threatening to spill over. “Stop….”

“Hey!” Akko shouted loudly, making Lotte and the Latina spin around. “Leave her alone!”

“Tch, go away, commoner,” the Latina scoffed. “This is none of your business.”

“When you start bullying my friends, it becomes my business!” Akko glowered. “You wanna fight someone so badly, then fight me!”

“Are you for real?” said the Latina, laughing mockingly, sweeping her hair dramatically. “All right, I was looking for an easy win anyway. And Someone’s gotta put you in your place, commoner. Might as well be me.”

At that time, Professor Holbrooke called out, “Has anyone picked their partners yet?”

“Right here!” Akko shouted, throwing up her arm, her glare never leaving the Latina.

With the announcement of the first combatants, the rest of the student body stepped off the field, leaving a wide space for Akko and the bully. The Japanese and the Latina stood ten feet apart; the former glaring and the latter looking like she had just won the lottery. Off on the sidelines, Lotte was biting her nails worriedly while Diana crossed her arms with a neutral expression.

“Aw man, Carmen already snagged the commoner.”

“She’s going to get an easy win for sure.”

“I wish I had thought of that.”

“When you are ready, you may begin!” Professor Holbrooke announced calmly.

“This will be over before it even starts!” the Latina known as Carmen declared, whipped out her Grimoire (a dark-green tome with four bronze stars). “ _ **Crystal Creation Magic: Geode Golem!**_ ”

The ground at Carmen’s feet ripped open as a column of pure-white crystals rose up, standing at an impressive ten feet. The crystals shuddered and expanded, developing new limbs as it gradually took on a more humanoid appearance. It’s shovel-like feet stomped the ground with a tremble, it’s three-clawed hands scraped against the surface of its palms, and though it lacked eyes, the behemoth had a row of pointed crystals for teeth. The crystalline beast let out a thunderous roar, kicking up the wind around Akko. But the Japanese girl did not flinch; she stared down her opponent with a furious leer.

“How do you like my magic?” Carmen asked, his voice laced with blatant mockery. “It’s a golem made from refined crystals created from magic, making it harder than steel and can cut through rocks like a knife through butter. It’s an advanced creation magic that my family has specialized in for centuries. It’s both defensive and offensive!”

“Hmm…I’ve heard of crystal magic,” Professor Nelson hummed. “It’s very well suited for creation magic, as we can plainly see. She might be a good candidate.”

“Having power and having the skill to use it properly are two different things,” said Ursula. “Let’s see what she does with it before we make any decisions.”

“It’s not like she’ll have a chance to show her full potential against her current opponent,” said Professor Finnelan disdainfully. “Honestly, why did we even humor that girl for this long? She clearly does not belong here.”

“Well, let’s wait and see,” said Professor Holbrooke with a knowing smile.

“So what’re you gonna do now, commoner?” Carmen taunted. “Against the power of my Geode Golem, you’re completely helpless. Just make sure you struggle as you can to keep things exciting. Don’t want anyone getting bo – “

Any further insults Carmen had immediately died on her lips as a solid beam of light shot across the field, enveloping the upper half of her crystal golem and completely disintegrating it until not even a speck of dust remained. The beam of light continued to fly toward the teacher’s table, but Ursula and Croix casually leaned sideways to let it pass harmless between them, not even looking back as the light exploded somewhere in the forest behind them.

Both the students and the teachers had dropped their jaws in stunned silence; Diana was smiling proudly; Professor Holbrooke chuckled amusingly.

Carmen turned her head mechanically to the remainder of her golem, making choking noise as her golem’s lower half crumble into a pile of crystal shards on the grass. The Latina shuddered fearfully, her breath coming out in panicked spats, as she and everyone else turned their attention to Akko.

The Japanese girl stood with the Shiny Bow clenched in one hand, the other still in the air from when she loosened the silvery string. Her Seven-Star Grimoire floated beside her, radiating with power. Out of everyone’s reactions, Ursula and Croix looked more surprised to see Akko’s Grimoire than anything else.

“Is that…?” Ursula breathed.

“Well I’ll be damned,” muttered Croix, grinning excitedly.

Akko shot a heated glare at Carmen; the Latina witch let out a frightened squeak and took a step back.

“ _Nobody_ picks on my friends!” Akko declared powerfully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you love this story, then please share some of that love with my other story.


	4. The Road to Greatness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a few small changes here. Nothing too major, but they'll definitely come up later.

Akko never felt so _satisfied_ as she did right now.

Standing in what she hoped was an intimidating pose with the Shiny Bow in hand, the Japanese fought off the urge to taunt her onlookers. All around her were people who had looked down on her for over a week, mocking her for not coming from magical blood, never hesitating to belittle her for every little failure. And now, every single one of them was staring at her, jaws slacked, with mixed expressions of befuddlement, shock, and maybe even fear. Even half the teachers looked dumbfounded. Akko noticed Diana and Lotte standing at the front of the crowd; the latter appearing awestruck and the former looked like she couldn’t have been prouder of her girlfriend.

Akko’s opponent, a Latina named Carmen, was rightfully terrified, visibly shaking like a leaf. Her strongest spell had been reduced to shards on the ground before she could finish insulting Akko. The Japanese narrowed her eyes and Carmen squeaked like a frightened mouse.

“ _Nobody_ picks on my friends!” Akko declared powerfully.

During the exchange, two of the teachers – Ursula and Croix – were staring at Akko’s Seven-Star Grimoire with great interest.

“That Grimoire…,” Croix muttered, grinning.

“It’s back…,” Ursula spoke in a hushed tone, eyes blown out in surprise.

All around them, the crowd broke out in stupefied whispers.

“Did she just…use magic?”

“Wasn’t she just some nobody commoner?”

“She destroyed Carmen’s golem like it was nothing!”

“Where did that bow come from?”

“You saw that light just now? Did we see something similar last week?”

“You think that was her?”

Akko ignored them, focusing all her attention on Carmen, who looked so scared she could break down in tears at any moment. The Japanese pulled back the Shiny Bow’s silvery again, summoning another arrow of light in the notch, and aimed the point at Carmen

“You better apologize right now, or you’re getting another!” Akko threatened. “1…”

“I’m sorry!” Carmen squealed, instantly dropping facedown into the grass with her hands clapped above her head in a pleading motion. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry for picking on you and your friends! I surrender! Just please don’t hurt me!”

Akko nearly tripped over herself from the absurdity of the scene. She dropped the Shiny Bow at her side, morphing back into its staff form, bewildered. Once she saw that the bow had been put away, Carmen jumped up to her feet, screaming shrilly, and ran away like a bat out of hell. She practically plowed her way through the crowd and didn’t stop running until she disappeared somewhere inside the school; the sound of shattered dishes and the furious snort of a bull carried not long after.

“Oh dear,” said Professor Holbrooke placidly. “Someone will have to go get her.”

“I’ve got it,” said Professor Finnelan, sighing exasperatedly as she rose from her chair and walked off.

“That staff looks familiar,” Professor Lukić hummed. “Could it be some kind of creation magic?”

“Judging from the other parts of the exam,” said Professor Nelson with a raised brow, “it didn’t seem like she had that much magical power.”

‘ _It’s not that she doesn’t have much magical power,_ ’ thought Ursula, observing Akko as she returned to the crowd, ‘ _it’s that she doesn’t know how to control it. All living creatures are born with magic inside them, even commoners, but most go their whole lives without ever realizing it. The Seven-Star Grimoire is special not because it can be used by more than one person, but because it can bring out the user’s full potential. And based on what I just saw…that girl may have more magical power than even the Empress._ ’

Like Ursula, Croix was eyeing Akko’s back, but with a more…predatory look. She wanted Akko, and she was determined to have her.

Akko, meanwhile, approached Diana and Lotte, flashing a peace sign with an impossibly wide grin.

“ _Yosh!_ Score one for the commoners!” Akko cheered.

“Akko, that was amazing!” Lotte gasped delightfully. “I’ve never seen such powerful magic before!”

“Heh-he, praised me more,” Akko giggled happily.

“Careful, or you head might not fit through the doors,” said Diana teasingly, earning a pout from her girlfriend. Cute. “I am proud of you, Akko. Both for winning the match and for sticking up for Lotte.”

“I wasn’t going to let anyone get away with picking on my friends,” said Akko, throwing her arm over Lotte’ shoulder; Lotte smiled shyly. “But I guess I set the bar kinda high, huh? You’ll have a tough time standing out after that, Diana.”

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll manage,” said Diana with aa knowing smirk.

For the next hour, the students would break into pairs and show off their Grimoires in battles that usually lasted five minutes. After Akko’s one-sided beatdown in the first fight, the rest of the battles were relatively tame with only a few witches really standing out in Akko’s opinion. The orange-haired girl from the flying test used a fluid form of fire magic that looked closer to dancing and the African girl had an interesting type of magic that let her take on the traits of various animals. The plump girl, on the other hand, didn’t use her Grimoire and instead _slapped_ her opponent unconscious. And the scowling girl just pulled out her magic shotgun, which somehow didn’t appear illegal to the teachers. Lotte took her turn halfway through, but Akko didn’t get a chance to see what her magic was because her opponent one-shotted her with a geyser of water.

Diana had yet to have a turn because most of the students were trying to avoid facing her by pairing up as quickly as possible. It seemed that Diana’s reputation was attractive in a normal setting, but a deterrent on the battlefield. She was watching the fourteenth pair – a mud user and a shapeshifter – when someone called out to her in a snobbish tone:

“Hey, Cavendish!”

Diana turned her eyes slowly to the voice. A girl with poofy blonde hair, possibly French, approached her. Unlike the other girls who openly fawned over the Cavendish heir, the French girl had a look of quiet loathing.

“Well, well, well, the famous Diana Cavendish,” said the French. “Everyone makes such a big deal about you, but I’m not impressed, just because you did well on a few stupid tests.” “And you are?” asked Diana with a quirked brow.

The French girl huffed haughtily and announced with a dramatic flair, “ _I_ am Chloe Thornton of Bourbon. You know what that means?”

“Your parents were drunk when they named you,” Diana retorted with a smirk; Akko threw back her head, cackling wildly next to her.

“Wha – NO!” Chloe shouted, flushed with embarrassment. “It means I am descended from nobility. My family is just as old and rich with magic as the Cavendishes, but _everyone_ seems to think you’re oh-so special.”

“If you have a point, I would like to hear it,” said Diana in a bored tone.

“Why you…,” Chloe growled, pointing at Diana. “You and me – right now! I’ll show everyone that the Cavendishes aren’t so great as they’re made out to be!”

Diana let out an exasperated sigh, but did not reject the offer. Once Professor Holbrooke called for the next pair, Diana and Chloe walked onto the empty field. The crowd hissed in excited murmurs. Everyone wanted to see the famous Diana Cavendish in action and see what type of magic she uses. Akko couldn’t deny that she was one of them; her girlfriend had been teasing her about it all day, goddamn it!

Diana stood on one side of the field, ten feet away from Chloe; the French girl was leering at Diana like she had insulted her mom.

“When you are ready, you may begin,” Professor Holbrooke announced.

“You arrogant Cavendishes think you’re so much better than everyone else because you’re descended from one of the Nine Witches,” said Chloe scathingly. “My family may not have been one of the original witches, but we’re just as good as you – no, we’re better than you stuck-up snobs. I’m glad I get the chance to knock you down a few notches.”

Diana’s only response was an exaggerated eyeroll, knowing it would piss off the French girl even more.

“You self-important brat!” Chloe snarled as she whipped out her Grimoire (A lime-green book with five yellow stars). “I’ll wipe you out in one shot with my best spell! _**Plant Magic: Ravaging Venus**!_”

The ground was torn asunder behind Chloe as a massive twelve-foot plant emerged. The plant’s stalk was as thick as a tree trunk, spouting four leaves the size of trash cans, and a purplish-red bulb that looked big enough to fit a whole person inside. The bulb turned toward Diana, a tear forming in the middle and spreading a part to reveal a set of knife-sized teeth. The carnivorous plant rumbled deeply, drooling murky-green liquid.

The crowd made a lot of impressed noises, some of them even sounded like they were worried Diana would lose. But not Akko; the Japanese crossed her arms and grinned smugly, being the only who to notice how calm her girlfriend was under the looming threat.

“This’ll wipe that smirk off your face,” Chloe declared, and, with a sweeping motion of her hand, set her carnivorous plant on the Cavendish heir.

Diana, on the other hand, did not flinch away. Her Six-Star Grimoire floated in the air beside her, radiating with a powerful white aura, flipping open automatically to a page near the center.

“ _ **Light Creation Magic: Holy Sabre** ,_” Diana chanted coolly.

Much like the way the Shiny Rod arose from Akko’s Grimoire, a decorative handle sprouted from the pages of Diana’s tome. The Cavendish heir took it and removed the rest of the weapon from her Grimoire with an elegant flair.

In Diana’s hand was a narrow and sharply-pointed sword (a rapier, if Akko recalled from Diana’s accounts on her fencing practices over the years). The hand guard was decorated with an elaborate web of golden vines around six four-pointed stars and the blade itself was made of gleaming white steel, almost like it was made of solidified light, which, now that Akko thought about it, was a possibility.

Diana took her stance, closing her eyes in concentration, as the giant Venus fly trap came down on top of her. When the plant creature was only a few feet away, Diana snapped her eyes opened into a determined scowl and swung her blade. Her hand had moved with such speed and ferocity that Akko almost hadn’t seen it; the sword flew in every direction, leaving a blur of light in its wake. When Diana’s hand stopped at her side, a beat of silence passed through the field…. Then, a few seconds later, Chloe’s plant monster literally fell apart into a hundred evenly sized cubes on the grass.

The crowd once again broke out in excited screams. Everyone except Chloe, whose eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets.

But Diana wasn’t done yet. The Cavendish heir took another stance, her rapier pointed at her opponent, and thrust forward. Diana practically flew across the field – Akko was certain her feet weren’t even touching the ground. She immediately stopped herself with her sword only half an inch from Chloe’s nose; the French girl squealed and threw herself back, falling on her butt, visibly trembling. Looking down at her defeated opponent, Diana lowered her rapier to her side and smirked smugly.

“What was that about you knocking me down a few pegs?” she said smugly.

“Holy crap! Did you see that!”

“Diana took her out in an instant!”

“What else would you expect from _the_ Diana Cavendish.”

“My girlfriend is so hot,” Akko muttered to herself.

“Not a bad job,” Professor Holbrooke complimented.

“She is the best one out of all of them,” said Professor Finnelan enthusiastically.

‘ _She’s definitely one of the best, that’s for certain,_ ’ Ursula thought as Diana walked over to join Akko and Lotte. ‘ _Her magical power level isn’t that much greater than the average witch, but her technique and control are sharper than even the most experienced veterans. Her creation magic is flawless in every way. She’s essentially the polar opposite of the Seven-Star Grimoire girl, who has too much power and zero control. Those two are children to watch out for….’_

* * *

By the time the last of the battles had ended, the sun was starting to set over the edge of the forest. All of the potential students were cluttered together in the middle of the field, making of them shaking anxiously to await their results. Akko was with them on this; she had done terribly for most of the tests and only stood out during the battle round. Thankfully, Diana slipped her hand into her own and gave it a gentle squeeze, calming her slightly.

Professor Holbrooke rose from her seat and almost everyone stood up straight at once.

“This concludes the exams,” Professor Holbrooke announced. “Now, when your name is called, please step forward. The guild heads will raise their hands if they would like you to join their groups. If they are chosen by more than one teacher, they may choose which guild they would like to join. When you have been chosen, please stand to the side and join the others who have been called into the same guild.

“Staring off, can we have Caroline Ainsworth step forward?”

A dark-haired English girl shuffled forward, wriggling her hands nervously. The teachers stared her down critically for a few seconds until Professor Nelson raised her hand.

“Caroline Ainsworth, Purple Pollox,” Professor Holbrooke declared. Caroline sighed in relief and walked off to the side. “Rita Alves, step forward.”

A red-headed Brazilian girl separated from the crowd. After another pause, Professor Pisces hopped out of her bowl briefly and splashed back down.

“Rita Alves, Jade Mimosa,” Professor Holbrooke announced. Rita walked off, a hand over her beating heart. “Jasminka Antonenko, you’re next.”

The plump girl who was constantly eating out of the bucket approached the front of the crowd serenely; she didn’t seem as remotely freaked out as the rest of them. Another beat passed before Professor Pisces hopped out of her bowl again.

“Jasminka Antonenko, Jade Mimosa,” said Professor Holbrooke as Jasminka casually walked over to stand beside Rita. “Constanze Amalie von Braunschbank-Albrechtsberger.”

Wow, that’s a mouthful, Akko thought. The gadget-wielding perma-scowl short girl stepped forward. After another few seconds of scrutinizing, Professor Lukić, Professor Holbrooke, and Professor Ursula raised their hands and Professor Pisces jumped out of her bowl. The crowd muttered in awe; the first student to get multiple offers!

Constanze scowled at all the teachers who made their offers, humming to herself. Finally, she pointed at Professor Pisces and walked over to join Rita and Jasminka off to the side.

“Constanze Amalie von Braunschbank-Albrechtsberger, Jade Mimosa,” said Professor Holbrooke. “Next, Diana Cavendish.”

Akko gave Diana a supportive squeeze of her own, which Diana smiled appreciatively before stepping away from the crowd. Unlike the other students who had to wait a few seconds before being chosen, not a single teacher hesitated when Diana stepped forward. Not only did every teacher raise their hands, but they simultaneously rose from their seats just to show how much they wanted her in their guilds. The crowd could not withhold their amazement.

“All seven teachers raised their hands!”

“Holy crap! That’s amazing!”

“This just proves that Diana really is on another level from the rest of us.”

“Way to go, Diana,” said Akko quietly, grinning proudly. “I’d expect nothing less from my girl.”

‘ _All seven teachers have chosen me,_ ’ Diana thought seriously. ‘ _But if I want to be the best witch I can, I need to pick the best possible path. And to do that, I need to choose…’_ She spoke her next words aloud: “Please allow me to join Royal Regulus.”

Professor Croix grinned like she had just won the grand prize, which she technically did by all accounts. As Diana walked off on her own, she shot a smug look to Professor Finnelan, who crossed her arms and grumbled obscenities under her breath; Professor Ursula sweatdropped at her colleague’s childishness.

“Elfriede Coch, if you please.”

The rest of the selections went in a similar manner. Most people were only selected by one teacher and walked off to join the others that were chosen, but only a handful got two or more offers Jade Mimosa, Purple Pullox, and Amber Canopus were quickly racking up in numbers while Saffron Shaula was a little more selective with only ten students so far, and most people avoided Grey Gienah because they were scared of Professor Lukić. Royal Regulus was even more selective than Finnelan and only selected three students, including Diana, so far and Crimson Ankaa had no students. Even more than Grey Gienah, nobody wanted to be in “the loser guild” even when they had to choose between the kind-looking Ursula and the scary Lukić. Akko thought it was totally unfair.

The Japanese was gleeful when Carmen the Latina got put into Grey Geinah; not even Ursula raised her hand for the bully. But when it came to be Lotte’s turn, Ursula was the only teacher to raise her hand, making her the only student in Crimson Ankaa thus far.

And then came –

“Atsuko Kagari,” Professor Holbrooke called.

“ _Hai!_ ” Akko shouted, practically jumping forward.

Akko stood before the teachers, now understanding why everyone before had been so nervous. She could feel their eyes looking her over with heavy scrutiny, even more so because she was the only commoner among the potential students. Professor Finnelan had her eyes narrowed into slits; it didn’t seem that the rigid teacher was ever going to like her, regardless of her performance in the battle round. Akko gulped loudly; a few seconds went by and nobody was raising their hands….

Then, to her surprise, two hands instantly shot into the air at the same time. One of them was Professor Ursula, looking more determined than ever, and the other was...Professor Croix?

“What? No Way!”

“Croix is inviting _her_!”

“But she’s just a commoner! Only the best of the best are allowed in Royal Regulus!”

Akko broke out into the biggest smile she had ever made in her life, not only because she had been chosen by the best guild in the entire school, but because she could now shove it in the other girls’ collective faces. The Japanese looked sideways to her girlfriend, who looked equally happy and waiting to be united with her lover.

“Heh-he, this is great,” Akko muttered to herself, snickering. “This is it – my path to greatness.” Then she spoke aloud, “I choose – “

But just as the words were on her lips, she stopped. Because standing right next to the Royal Regulus group was Lotte, all by herself in Crimson Ankaa. The bespectacled girl seemed proud of Akko, she really did, but the Japanese could sense a hint of loneliness as well. The mean girls’ earlier words suddenly flashed in the forefront of her mind:

“ _What do you expect? Crimson Ankaa is a guild for rejects that nobody wants_.”

Akko frowned. She looked back at Diana for a moment, who looked confused by Akko’s hesitation, before the Japanese addressed the teachers again.

“I choose Crimson Ankaa!”

The crowd broke out in bewildered and stupefied screams. What is she thinking? How could she choose the biggest losers in Luna Nova over the best guild? But Akko ignored them and proudly sauntered over to stand beside Lotte, grinning wickedly as she threw her arm over the bespectacled girl’s shoulders.

“Looks like we’re in the same guild, Lotte!” Akko announced proudly.

“Akko, why did you do that?” Lotte gasped in disbelief. “Royal Regulus picked you.”

“Yeah, and that’s pretty awesome,” Akko admitted. “But I wasn’t gonna leave my new friend all by herself. Looks like you’re stuck with me.”

Lotte smiled softly and muttered a quite “Thank you.” That made it all worth it.

Diana looked momentarily hurt when Akko decided to not join the same guild as her, but as she watched her girlfriend and Lotte interact, her heart warmed.

Over at the teacher’s table, Ursula looked greatly relieved while Croix frowned, like she had just had her favorite toy taken from her.

* * *

Half an hour later, the last of the students had been sorted into their guilds. The other five guilds were stocked with the majority of the numbers while only five ended up being invited to Royal Regulus, which unfortunately included the two bullies who were constantly picking on Akko. No one else joined Crimson Ankaa, which Akko found a little disappointing, but she put on a brave face for Lotte’s sake.

Professor Holbrooke rose from her chair and announced, “This concludes the Luna Nova Entrance Exam! Al of you should be proud for making it this far. Your guild heads will lead you to your dormitories where you will meet the rest of your guildmates. Take the weekend to make friends with your seniors and get yourself situated in your new living space. Your first classes will take place Monday morning, so try not to oversleep.

“Well, off you go then! Amber Canopus, follow me, please!”

The greater majority of the crowd headed back toward the school, following the teachers (except the Jade Mimosa girls, who had to carry Professor Pisces’s fishbowl and guess which direction she wanted them to go) until Akko and Lotte were the only ones left. They waited until the crowd had cleared away when they spotted Ursula waving them over. They barely made it two steps before –

“Akko…”

The Japanese witch went stiff. The voice had been soft and soothing, but she almost wished it had been yelling at her instead. Because that voice had belonged to Diana, who Akko noticed had also stayed behind while the rest of her guildmates went on ahead with Croix.

Akko turned mechanically to face Diana. The Cavendish heir didn’t look angry or upset, but Akko knew she was good at hiding her feelings.

“So, you’re in Crimson Ankaa, and I’m in Royal Regulus,” said Diana calmly. “I guess this mean we’ll have to part ways again. At least until classes start Monday.”

“I’m _sooooo_ sorry, Diana!” Akko cried, clapping her hands over her head. “I was going to join Royal Regulus, honestly! But then I saw Lotte, and she looked so sad and lonely, and I – “

“Akko, Akko, it’s okay!” Diana cried, grabbing her girlfriend’s hands and bringing them down. She didn’t let go. “I understand why you did it.”

“You do?” Akko asked hopefully.

“Yes,” said Diana, nodding. “I won’t say I’m not disappointed, but I know why you did it. I should have known you would be so selfless, putting others before yourself…. It’s things like these that keep reminding me why I love you so much.”

Akko giggled, cheeks burning red. She pressed her forehead against Diana’s savoring the moment between them, and said, “This is where it all starts. Our real journey to becoming great witches. Just like Shiny Chariot."

“Just like Shiny Chariot,” Diana repeated softly. “But you know that also means you’ll be doing a lot of homework, too. And I won’t let you cheat off me this time.”

“Gurk!” Akko grimaced. She had completely forgotten that they would be given homework. In school. Go figure.

Diana giggled. The British and Japanese girls exchanged soft looks before closing the gap between them in a gentle and loving kiss, completely lost in their own world…. Of which Lotte had a front row seat to the whole thing. Akko and Diana had completely forgotten that their new friend was standing _right next to them_ , letting out a little squeak when they started kissing and quickly threw her hands over her glasses in embarrassment. That didn’t stop her peeking between her fingers, though….

Ursula let out a sigh that seemed like a mixture of exasperation and amusement, fists on her hips and shaking her head at the pair that were still going at it.

“Wow, kids these days really move fast, huh?” Ursula blinked over her shoulder as Croix came up from behind and stood beside her, arms crossed and grinning smugly. “Hey, remember our first kiss?”

“Oh god, please forget about that!” Ursula moaned, burying her face in her hands.

“Not in this lifetime,” said Croix, throwing her head back in a mad cackle. After calming down, she managed a small grin as the couple finally pulled apart. “I guess we both got lucky this year, huh? Me with Cavendish, and you with Kagari. Kinda wish I had gotten both of them myself, but I guess if anyone was going to train the girl on how to use her Grimoire, you would be the next best choice.”

“Gee, thanks,” Ursula said sarcastically.

A sad frown crossed her lips a moment later, which Croix was quick to pick up on.

“You’re worried about her,” said Croix. It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.

“The Seven-Star Grimoire and the Shiny Rod disappeared seven years ago because it wasn’t needed anymore,” said Ursula. “But now that they’ve both returned – “

“You’re worried that _they_ are coming back, too,” said Croix knowingly. She clapped Ursula’s shoulder, trying to act supportive of her colleague. “Well, if they are coming back, there’s no point in worrying about it now. All we can do can do for them is make sure they’re prepared _if_ they return. That’s not to say it’s a guarantee that they will. We never know what’s going on with that Grimoire.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” said Ursula, still tense, but relaxed slightly. She waved her hand and called out, “Excuse me, Miss Kagari, Miss Jannson, hurry up now! I need to take you to the dorms now!”

“You, too, Diana!” Croix shouted. “Everyone’s waiting!”

The young couple jumped, completely forgetting that they were in a public setting where anyone could see them, especially poor Lotte.

“Well, I should be going now,” said Diana, letting go of Akko’s hands; slowly, I might add. “See you later, Akko.”

“Later, Diana,” said Akko, waving her away.

Diana dashed across the field to Croix’s side, who immediately pulled the younger prodigy back to the school by her shoulders.

“Wow…you two are closer than I thought,” Lotte said shyly; Akko scratched her head, laughing sheepishly.

“Come on, you two, it’s getting late!” Ursula called again.

Akko took Lotte by the hand again and started running up to the blue-haired woman, nearly causing Lotte to trip over herself again as she tried to match Akko’s pace. This was it, Akko thought. The first step toward her dream!

They followed Professor Ursula back through the path around the school building and across the stone bridge before walking inside. Their blue-haired teacher immediately turned left up a flight of stairs, stepping around a group of four goblins that were cleaning up a huge pile of broken plates; guess they know what Carmen broke earlier. They reached the second floor and Professor Ursula lead them down another long corridor like the one on the first floor that went around the rectangular courtyard in the middle.

“The layout of Luna Nova can be a little confusing at first,” said Ursula, leading them to another flight of stairs at the end of the hall, “but it shouldn’t take more than a week to memorize. The school has four floors and an underground waterway for water-based classes. The classrooms are located on the first three floors while the fourth floor is for storage and access to the observation towers. The library is on the first floor as well as cafeteria where you will be having lunch periods with your other classmates. The student assembly is on the second floor and there are two student stores on the third floor if you find you are missing anything. You can ask one of your upperclassmen to give you three the full tour.”

“Three?” said Lotte, looking back at Akko confused.

“Oh, I forgot to mention,” said Ursula, scratching her cheek sheepishly. “Another girl transferred from the Hexside School yesterday and she was sorted into Crimson Ankaa ahead of schedule. She’s from a prominent witch family in the Philippines, so we’re very excited to have her.”

Akko hummed, choosing not to say anything. If Carmen and Chloe were anything to go by, Akko wasn’t sure she was going to be friendly with anyone from ‘prominent witch families'.

They climbed the staircase all the way up to a fourth floor, barely seeing anyone other than magical creatures. As they were walking along the fourth-floor corridor, Akko spotted a pair of girls on the opposite side heading the other direction. They looked like upperclassmen wearing matching uniforms: long, navy-blue tunics, pointed hats, and pointed boots. They were also wearing short cloaks over their shoulders with the Luna Nova emblazoned on the front, but one of them was colored green while the other was orange. They both disappeared down the opposite stairs before Akko could get a better look.

Ursula took Akko and Lotte up a flight of spiraling stairs to what they assumed was one of the observation towers. But Akko was confused; wasn’t she supposed to take them to their dormitory? Why is she take them all the way of here?

Turns out that at the very top of the staircase was a large, ornate set of iron double doors that looked remarkably out of place with its stony background. The doors were etched with an elegant pattern of leafy vines that formed a shape resembling a volcano. The doors had no handles, but only a keyhole in the center. Ursula stopped in front of the doors and turned to her charges.

“The guild dormitories are not _in_ Luna Nova, technically speaking,” she explained, “but located in varying planes of realities that can only be reached through the Ley Lines that run underneath the school. There are several doors scattered throughout the school leading to the dormitories, but they can only be open with specific keys.”

At that point, Ursula reached into her pocket and whipped out three golden keys before handing two to Akko and Lotte. Both keys were adorned with large rubies that had been cleanly cut into the shape of a volcano to match the symbol on the door.

“Make sure not to lose these because they are your only way in to your dorms,” Ursula warned, holding up her own key. “If you do end up losing your key, please notify one of the teachers so we can use a tracking spell to look for it. These keys cannot be easily replaced, so _be careful_."

Akko nodded vigorously, clutching the key with both hands. She will defend this key with her life!

“Now then….”

Ursula inserted her key into the door and turned with a loud _click_ that echoed off the walls. She pulled back as the double doors slowly creaked open, unveiling a long tunnel of swirling green light beyond. Akko couldn’t help exclaiming in amazement. It looks just like the portal Shiny Chariot summoned ten years ago!

“In you go, girls,” said Professor Ursula, motioning for the two to enter.

Akko and Lotte shared a look between them, nodding in confirmation, and quietly approached the swirling vortex. The Japanese stopped at the threshold, taking a deep breath to gather her nerves, before taking her first step inside –

Without warning, her whole body lurched forward like someone had snagged her on a fishing hook. It felt like she was free-falling sideways at a hundred miles per hours; she could feel her hair and cheeks flapping around anime-style; she tried to scream, but it seemed like she had left her voice back at the door. The green aura around her was getting notably brighter the further she fell in –

* * *

And came to a sudden, unexpected stop, falling flat on her face on the strangely warm ground.

“This _is_ becoming a running gag,” Akko moaned.

The Japanese pried herself from the ground, rising to her feet with Lotte’s help, and looked around.

The environment around them was painted in warm colors of red and orange and was insanely _hot_! They were standing on a path made of uneven black stones with lines of glowing-orange running between them. The path branched off in several directions, leading to the steep cliffs and rising crags in the backgrounds. There was a loud _whoosh_ and Akko spun around in time to see a geyser spew what was undeniably molten magma less than twenty feet away.

“Um…where are we?” Lotte asked nervously.

“Mountain Ankaa, also known as Alpha Phoenicis” Ursula answered calmly. “It’s an active volcano located in the Phoenix constellation of the Ley Lines.”

“We’re inside a _volcano_!” shrieked Akko, jumping when one of the stones spat up a blob of lava on the path.

“Don’t worry, the paths are magically protected by powerful instant cooling spells,” Ursula assured them. To demonstrate, she picked up the lava blob and held it in her hand, not showing any signs of discomfort. “As long as you don’t wander off the roads, you’ll be safe.” She dropped the blob on the ground and proceeded to walk down the path. “We should head inside. Your guildmates should be finished setting up your welcoming party.”

Akko and Lotte looked up at the same time, only now realizing that they had landed in front of a _gigantic_ fortress that nearly reached the top of the volcano. It was made from the same black stone as its environment, so it understandably blended in with the background, with nearly a hundred windows, some of which were illuminated from inside. The front entrance was made of two twenty-foot irons doors, the surface of which was filthy with soot, and a pair of red hanging banners with the same volcano symbol as their keys on either side.

“Whoa…,” Lotte breathed.

“This is the Crimson Ankaa’s dormitory,” Akko said in awe.

“Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” said Ursula with a tinge of pride in her voice. She stopped at the front doors, waiting for Akko and Lotte to catch up. “Go on in. They’re waiting to surprise you.”

“ _Yosh!_ Starting today, this is where I’m – we’re,” Akko corrected herself quickly, looking over at Lotte, “going to become the greatest witches of all time!” With a grin stretched from ear-to-ear, Akko bounded forward and shoved the front doors open for a dramatic entrance. “ _Ohayo –_ “

A flurry of white clouded Akko’s vision and her whole body felt like it had dropped a hundred degrees; Lotte squeaked in surprise somewhere next to her. The white tide went just as quickly as it came, but Akko still felt like she had been dropped into a lake of ice water. She was frozen in place, teeth chattering uncontrollably, and she confident something unsightly dripping from her nose. Small mounds of white powder were piled up on top of her head and shoulders. Snow. She was covered in snow.

“Akko, are you okay?” Lotte asked, concerned.

“W-w-w-w-why is th-th-there s-s-s-snow in a vo-vo-volcano?” Akko managed to stammer out.

“Give that back, Lin-Lin!”

“Make me, Elsa!”

“Stop being idiots or I’ll smack you _both_ upside the head!”

The Inside the dormitory could only be described as pure chaos. Nearly a dozen girls in matching uniforms with bright-red cloaks were running around the room, pulling out their Grimoires and blasting magic everywhere. Decorations that had been set up for their welcome party were now in tatters. Food exploded on everything from the walls to the ceiling. There was an explosion somewhere unseen followed by something that sounded like a _very_ angry monster.

Akko and Lotte watched the carnage with slack jaws; Ursula scratched her cheek sheepishly, sweatdropping.

“Um…welcome to Crimson Ankaa….”

* * *

**BONUS:**

****


	5. Crimson Ankaa

Opposed to the Crimson Ankaa, which resided in the heart of an active volcano, the Royal Regulus dormitory was buried deep underground in the midst of a confusing labyrinth of mining tunnels. Railway tracks and mining carts skirt along in every direction like an intricate spiderweb of metal, and the only source of light came from the hanging lanterns with glowing magic crystals. And at the heart of it all was an enormous castle fabricated from purified steel, mine carts coming in and out like a train station, its many ramparts adorned with gleaming colorful crystals the size of an adult male, banners of sapphire lanterns hanging on either side of its gilded gates.

Despite having no natural light source, the dormitory still had its own grassy courtyard. Must be magically grown, Diana thought.

Diana stood at the end of the line the first years were ordered to form, hands clasped behind their backs. Next to her were the two bullies that were constantly picking on Akko, glancing sideways eagerly like they had suddenly become best friends with her. Not a chance, Diana thought acidly. On their other side was a German girl with a bob cut and a thick set of glasses that made her look even more uptight than Diana (if that’s even possible). And at the very end was an anxious-looking girl with teal-blue hair tied up in a ponytail by a red ribbon, her eyes glancing occasionally in a certain direction.

They were facing Croix and their seniors – students all garbed with shoulder cloaks of royal-blue thread with golden sigils shaped like lanterns. She knew that Royal Regulus was extremely selective of their members, but Diana only counted twelve older students in total, making the Cavendish heir blink in surprise.

Croix clapped her hands, snapping Diana out of her stupor, and threw out her arms dramatically.

“Welcome, chosen few, to Royal Regulus,” Croix greeted enthusiastically. “The guild reputed as the greatest among Luna Nova, where only the best of the best are accepted…. But,” Her brows furrowed with a wicked grin, making the air feel colder than it already was, “don’t think that because I raised my hand for you that automatically makes you special. Royal Regulus maintains it reputation not because it has the strongest magic, but the hardest workers. If I find any of you slacking off, I won’t hesitate to kick you out on the spot.” Three of the freshmen gulped audibly.

“Now, let’s start with some introductions,” said Croix eagerly, doing a complete 180. She pointed to the blue-haired girl at the end. “Let’s start with you.”

“Me?” The blue-haired girl squeaked. She stiffened like she was reporting to a drill sergeant. “Er – Mary Buckland, ma’am! It’s an honor to be chosen, ma’am.”

Croix laugh aloud, saying, “You’re a funny one, Mary. Next.”

“Gaëlle Wissen,” answered the bespectacled girl dutifully. She said nothing else, which led to a very awkward pause.

“O…kay,” Croix said during the uncomfortable silence. “Er…next up is…”

“Hannah England!” the brunette bully proclaimed proudly. “My family has graduated from Luna Nova for generations. All of them were in Royal Regulus.”

“Ah, England, I know you,” said Croix, the sides of her lips quirking. “Your oldest sister was a freshman when I was in my senior year. I never got to know her personally, but I heard nothing but good things about her. I hope you do just as well.”

“Yeah…right…,” said Hannah slowly. She was still smiling, but Diana noted there was a hint of sadness to it.

“I’m Barbara Parker!” the dark-haired bully declared, cutting away the tension. “My family has also been in Royal Regulus for many generations. I look forward to learning from you, Professor Croix.”

“Parker…Parker…yeah, I heard about you,” said Croix lightly. “I know it’s a few years late, but I offer my condolences. Something like that should never happen to anyone.”

Barbara also looked down, not masking her sad expression. Diana watched Hannah and Barbara out of the corner of her eye, both of them secretly holding each other’s hands for support. There’s a lot more going on with them than Diana had originally thought….

“And last, but certainly not least…,” Croix spoke up, gesturing to Diana.

“Diana Cavendish,” Diana announced formally, much like she always did at her aunt’s boring dinner parties. “And I want to make it expressly clear that I did not come for special treatment. I came here to work hard and become the most powerful witch I can be. One that brings safety and happiness to all.”

“Hmm…,” Croix hummed mirthfully. “That reminds me of something an old friend of mine used to say… But we’re not here to reminisce. Before you girls can officially join the Royal Regulus, you need to be inducted in the initiation ritual.”

“Initiation ritual?” Hannah repeated, but Croix ignored her and turned back to the older students, muttering to herself.

“No…probably not…maybe, but…. Aha! Avery, can you come here, please?”

One of the older students broke away from the rest, joining Croix at her side. She had thin eyes and shoulder-length purple-hair parted in the middle by two red hairpins. A large bird with beautiful ocean-blue plumage and a snowy-white stomach and crest was perched on her right shoulder, flicking its beak at each of them.

Avery had her arms were crossed, wearing a look of disinterest even when her gaze fell on the fabled Diana Cavendish. There was a brief moment when her eyes landed on Mary at the end of the row; her brow quirked and Mary squeaked like a little mouse again.

“This Avery Buckland, a second year,” Croix introduced her. “For your initiation ritual, all five of you are going to be facing her at once in a magical duel. You will be allowed to use your Grimoires.””

“Isn’t five-on-one a little unfair?” questioned Barbara.

“Yes, it is,” said Avery coolly, drawing out her Grimoire (A purple tome with five scarlet stars.) “Just not the way you think.”

“It’s not wise to be overconfident before seeing what your opponents can do,” said Diana as she and the others whipped out their Grimoires. “If you’re really as good as you think you are, then show us.”

For the first time, Avery smirked amusingly as her Grimoire fell open….

* * *

.Akko and Lotte stood at the threshold of what was supposed to be their dormitory, the former covered in snow, staring inside with dumbstruck looks. Ursula, their guild head, scratched her cheek awkwardly.

The spacious entrance hall inside was made from the same black stone as the volcano they were standing in, but it had been carved and polished to make it more livable. The chamber was illuminated by torches, each with its own different colored flame that burned as bright as the sun; Akko swore she could hear the fire giggling. There were two iron doors were on either side of the hall leading to elsewhere and two spiraling metal staircases in the corners to the upper levels. And at the very back of the hall was a gigantic marble statue of a three headed dog that nearly reached the ceiling.

The entrance hall appeared to have recently been decorated. A few tables piled high with food and sweets were laid out, red and yellow streamers floated near the ceiling along with dozens of balloons with the Crimson Ankaa volcano drawn on them, and a bigger banner stretched out underneath the dog statue that said “ **WELCOME FRESHMEN!** ” in scarlet letters.

Loitering around the entry hall were less than a dozen girls around Akko and Lotte’s age, all of them wearing the same uniforms as Akko saw on the girls back at the school building. The only difference was that their short cloaks were crimson-red with the same volcano symbol threaded in gold.

All in all, it seemed like a very welcoming atmosphere…. Except…

“Now you’re pissing me off, Lin-Lin!” a Norwegian girl with short brunette hair shouted furiously.

“Give me back my _Skolebolle_ or else!”

A Chinese girl with dark-blue hair in twin bun covers was clinging to the wall near the ceiling like a guy in red-and-blue spandex, holding a sweet roll in one hand while the other and her feet were glowing with a pale-blue light.

“Or what? You gonna _build a snowman_?” Lin-Lin taunted. “You need to learn to _let it go,_ Elsa.”

That seemed to enrage Elsa even more; Akko could see the throbbing red vein on her temple.

“ _ **I’LL BURY YOU!!!**_ ”

The furious Elsa held up her Grimoire (A snow-white tome with four crystal-blue stars) and summoned a compressed flurry of snow from the pages. Lin-Lin bounced out of the way before the snow storm hit the wall, shaking the entire fortress. As the Chinese girl bounced off the floor and toward the opposite wall, Elsa turned her Grimoire to follow, spreading the snow around until the entire entrance hall was caught in a raging blizzard. The others screamed in fright, scrabbling around for shelter.

Another Japanese girl with long deep-purple hair and small eyes ran into the wall and – Akko rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing right – passed through it. A girl with pink hair tied into a bun wearing a yellow cardigan tried to follow, but seem to forget that she was solid and smacked her face into the stone. Another girl with grass-green curly pigtails pressed herself against the back wall, reached into her hair curls and – _did she just pull a giant turtle shell out of her hair?!_ A tomboyish girl with short, shaggy blonde hair had upended one of the tables and was using it for cover, sending all the food splattering on the ground. And another girl with dirty-blonde hair didn’t look like she gave two shits about the chaos around her, causally flipping through her magazine with a bored look.

This…was not what Akko and Lotte were expecting when they first walked in.

“Um…are they usually this…rowdy?” Lotte asked nervously.

“More or less,” Ursula admitted sheepishly.

“Should…somebody stop them?” said Lotte.

“Well, you can try,” said Ursula.

‘ _Holy crap, these guys are nuts!_ ’ Akko thought. ‘ _B-But starting today, I’m also a member of_ _Crimson Ankaa. I need to make a good first impression with them!_ ”

With that thought in mind, she shook the snow off herself and stepped forward, clenching her fist determinedly.

“ _Konbanwa, mina!_ ” she shouted strongly. “My name is Atusko Kagari! I’ll be joining you to – BWAH!” Another pile of snow buried her completely, though her eyes were still somehow visible. “Why do these things only happen to me…?”

Elsa’s snow storm raged while Lin-Lin bounced off the walls, quoting lines from a popular movie that only pissed the snow witch further. And neither of them showed signs of stopping.

But no one saw the pair of gauntlet-covered hands pick up the last standing concession table, holding it high in the air like it weighed as little as a loaf of bread. The table was tossed across the room at the exact moment Lin-Lin touched the ground next to Elsa, nailing both witches in one shot. Two screams and one _crash_ later, the snow flurry died away, thankfully clearing the entrance hall. When silence finally fell over the fortress, the girls cautiously scurried out from their hiding places, sighing in equal parts annoyance and relief.

Akko, with Lotte’s help, pulled herself out of her snow coffin, shaking the remaining powder out of her hair, and searched the wall on her left. Elsa and Lin-Lin were slumped on the ground, dazed and moaning, covered in an assortment of cakes, sauces, and vegetables. Standing over them was an older girl with shoulder-length crimson hair, glaring at the troublesome pair with her fists on her hips, which looked difficult because she was wearing medieval gauntlets three sizes too big.

“You idiots knock it off already!” the crimsonette yelled at the pair, emitting a dangerous aura. “Our freshmen are gonna be here any minute and you’re wrecking the place!”

“Says the girl who just threw six hours of cooking at the wall,” said the bored-looking blonde. The crimsonette made an awkward noise, stiffening in realization. “And by the way, the new girls showed up, like, five minutes ago.”

All heads immediately snapped at the doors, only to realize now that Akko, Lotte, and Ursula were hanging around at the threshold.

The mood shifted so suddenly that it nearly gave Akko whiplash. Surprised and excited cheers broke out as the entire guild stampeded over to meet them. At first, Akko thought they were coming to greet her and Lotte, but the thought was squashed quickly when the girl in the yellow cardigan shoved her one side. Instead, everyone flocked to Ursula, shouting over one another trying to get her attention. Even Elsa and Lin-Lin, who had been fighting a minute ago, were helping each other up and joining the merry chorus. Ursula, for her part, was smiling and listening attentively. “Professor Ursula, did anybody talk smack about you?” questioned Lin-Lin with a clenched fist. “If they did, I will totally kick their butts!”

“Professor, I’ve been practicing my concentrated snow spell just like you told me to!” said Elsa excitedly. “Now it’s twice as powerful as it was before the break!”

“Professor, I met this cute girl in town and I really need your advice!” the girl in the yellow cardigan asked desperately.

“Professor, you have to sword fight me again!” yelled the crimsonette in the oversized gauntlets.

“I’ve been practicing a new sword fighting technique and I think I can beat you this time!”

“I’m sorry, professor, I know you said I wasn’t allowed to bring anymore ghosts into the dorms,” said the violet-haired Japanese girl sheepishly, “but they looked so lost and hungry! I couldn’t leave them alone!”

“Professor, check out this neat trick I can do with my curls!” shouted the girl with the green ringlets excitedly.

“Professor, I found this dress online that would look _amazing_ on you!” said the blonde tomboy enthusiastically.

“Professor, can you tell everyone to stop being so annoying?” the bored-looking blonde groaned.

“All right, all right, settle down everyone,” said Ursula softly. Shockingly enough, the girls diligently obeyed and sat politely on the floor in a perfect row. Wow, Akko thought, these girls really look up to Ursula. “Good news, everybody! We’re getting two new members this year!” She waved a hand over to Akko and Lotte. “This is Atsuko Kagari and Lotte Jansson. Say hello, girls.”’

“Hello…everyone,” Lotte waved nervously. “It’s nice to meet you – “

“ _Konbanwa, mina!_ ” Akko yelled powerfully, making Lotte jump. “I’m Atsuko Kagari from Japan! My friends call me Akko! Please take good care of me!” she concluded with a bow.

“Hmm, Kagari?” The violet-haired girl hummed, touching her chin thoughtfully. “I know all of the witch families in Japan and I’ve never heard of that one.”

“Well…um…,” Akko muttered, a sense of dread washing over her. “That’s…because…I’m not from a witch family.”

The Japanese waited for the verbal lashing that was bound to come. She had been so excited about joining a guild that she had completely forgotten how witches generally looked down on commoners like her…. But what she wasn’t expecting was –

“Whoa, so you’re a first-generation witch?!” said Lin-Lin excitedly. “That’s so cool!”

Akko blinked, bewildered. Her thought must have shown on her face because the crimonsette said, “First-generation witches are extremely rare since most witch bloodlines were already established during the Golden Age of Magic. The last first-generation witch was over eighty years ago and they became famous for creating the first broom that can fly under its own power.”

“Ooh, I didn’t know that!” said the girl with the green ringlets excitedly. “You must have some super powerful magic!”

Akko scratched the back of her head and chuckled sheepishly, still surprised that they were accepting her so easily. She liked these girls way better than those mean brats at the exams.

Ursula clapped her hands to grab everyone’s attention and said, “Okay, now that everyone knows who Akko and Lotte are, it’s time for some introductions. Jeanne, would you mind?”

“No problem, Professor!” said the crimsonette, jumping to her feet enthusiastically. She did a formal bow and said, “My name is Jeanne d’Arc, a third-year and the person in charge of keeping these idiots in line. And before you ask: Yes, I _am_ descended and named after the legendary Joan of Arc. It is a pleasure to meet you both.

“And over here is third-year, Amelia Vance,” Jeanne continued, gesturing to the bored-looking blonde. “She’s not really much of a people person, but she’s dependable where it counts.

“That’s not true,” said Amelia, grimacing. “I just don’t like troublesome people. And it’s just luck in a guild full of them. Just…don’t disturb me with bothersome stuff and we’ll get along fine.”

‘ _You seem like the most troublesome one here,_ ’ Akko thought, but wisely kept her mouth shut.

“This is Catherine Hardy, a second year,” said Jeanne, pointing to the cardigan girl. “She’s a notorious flirt that hits on every girl she sees, but she’s dependable where it counts.”

“That is totally _not_ true!” Catherine crossed her arms with a ‘Hmph! “So I like cute girls! It’s not a crime or anything! Stop making me sound like I’m some kind of floozy!”

Then, quick as a flash, she is invading Akko’s personal space in a cliché anime _kabedon_ position.

Akko’s face reddened as Catherine leaned in close, tilting her chin up suggestively.

“That being said, how’d you like it if I gave you a…private tour of the dorm,” said Catherine seductively.

“I-I-I-I have a…uh a girlfriend,” Akko stammered; her face was practically on fire.

“I don’t mind sharing – “ Catherine murmured before she was sharply pulled back by an annoyed Jeanne.

“Okay, that’s enough outta you,” said Jeanne, literally kicking the flirt out of view. She motioned to Elsa and said, “You’ve already met Elsa Johansen, another third year. She has a bit of a short fuse, but she’s dependable where it counts.”

“Sorry about the snowstorm,” Elsa apologized, standing up and shaking Akko’s hand sheepishly.

“Lin-Lin just loves to get on my nerves for the fun of it.”

“No, no, it was kinda awesome getting to see your magic,” said Akko, giggling. “And you have to admit, it’s kinda funny. Your name is Elsa and – “

Akko squeaked as Elsa practically crushed her fingers like a vice, the Norwegian girl glaring at her with the intensity of a thousand suns.

“If you make one _Frozen_ joke, I will throw you into the magma pools personally,” Elsa hissed venomously.

“Y-Yes, ma’am!” Akko yelped. Elsa leered at her for a few seconds before letting go; Akko’s hand was visibly throbbing.

“And speaking of the little terror,” Jeanne continued, basically ignoring the previous interaction as she waved a hand at Lin-Lin. “This is Lin-Lin Xióngmāo, second year. She was raised by pandas and is a huge troublemaker, but she’s dependable where it counts.”

“Were you really raised by pandas?” Lotte asked curiously.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make me a weirdo or anything,” Lin-Lin declared. “I’m a completely normal witch girl.

That would have been more believable, in Akko’s opinion, if she hadn’t pulled out a piece of bamboo and started nibbling on it.

“And over there is my best friend, Shiki Yūrei, a third-year also from Japan,” said Jeanna, pointing to the small-eyed girl. “She has a creepy hobby of collecting lost souls and letting them stay in our dorm, but she’s dependable where it counts.”

“I wish you would stop calling my spirit friends creepy,” Shiki pouted. “They’re just lost and lonely, like abandoned puppies. How could you not feel sorry for them?”

“I stopped sympathizing with them when that ghost in the glasses backed up the toilet and flooded the dorm,” Amelia grumbled.

“Then we have Verde Shidariza, second-year,” Jeanne referred to the girl with the green ringlets. “She is Crimson Ankaa’s designated hair stylist and she’s obsessed with hair curls, but she’s dependable where it counts.”

“Nice to meet you two,” Verde said cheerfully. She reached inside her ringlets and pulled out two slices of cake with plates and forks. “Want some cake? I managed to sneak some before Elsa completely ruined everything.”

“…Did you just pull that out of your hair?” Lotte asked slowly; Akko didn’t object to the free cake.

“Yep!” said Verde perkily. “I keep lots of stuff in my curls! But don’t bothering asking what. I don’t curl and tell.”

‘ _Now I’m_ really _curious_ ,’ thought Lotte.

“And over here is our resident fashionista, Zizi Delevingne, second-year,” Jeanne continued, gesturing to the tomboyish blonde. “She has a bit of a wild streak to her, but she’s dependable where it counts.”

“You should totally let me give you a makeover,” said Zizi enthusiastically, looking Akko up and down like a predator, making the Japanese feel self-conscious. “Mmm…a little rouge, maybe some ruby-red lip gloss to match your eyes…the things I could do with that hair – “ “Uh…I’m fine with how I look, thanks,” Akko declined nervously.

“And last but not least is our guild head, Ursula Callistis!” Jeanne announced a theatrical hand wave to the sheepish teacher. “She teaches Magical Astronomy and she’s one the youngest and prettiest teachers on the faculty.”

‘ _…She didn’t say she was dependable,_ ’ Akko noticed.

“T-Thank you all for having us,” Lotte stuttered anxiously. “I hope we don’t become a burden for you.”

“There are three more students in Crimson Ankaa,” Ursula told them. “One of them is the transfer student from the Hexside School, though I have no idea here she could be. There’s another secondyear, but she took an extended leave from school for a – what was it? – training expedition? And the last one is a third-year, but she’s held under heavy quarantine, so not a lot of people are allowed to see her. Try to get along with them all.”

“ _Hai!_ We’ll get along super great!” Akko shouted confidently. “We’ll be super best friends in no time!”

“Ah geez, she’s one of those people,” Amelia complained.

“Don’t be rude,” Shiki chided her.

“All right, girls, I’ll leave you to it,” said Ursula, clapping her hands for attention again. “Show Akko and Lotte the ropes, but go easy on them. Give them the initiation ritual if you want, but keep it under control. I don’t want half the dormitory coming down like last year.”

“EEEEHHHH?!” Akko and Lotte yelped simultaneously.

“I’m going to go look for our other first year,” said Ursula. “See if she feels like joining us.”

On that note, Ursula disappeared somewhere up the spiraling staircase, leaving Akko and Lotte alone with their new dormmates. The moment her footsteps faded, the older girls turned simultaneously toward them, like creepy dolls out of a horror movie, most of them with devilish grins. Akko felt Lotte shiver nervously beside her. Akko couldn’t blame her; she was shaking, too.

“Did you hear that?” said Lin-Lin, chuckling mischievously. “Professor Ursula wants us to show you the ropes. Oh, we will _definitely_ show you the ropes.” For a moment, Akko thought she saw the Chinese girl’s eyes glow, but when she blinked, they looked normal. “They might not look like much, but they’ve got some interesting-looking magic. Especially Kagari. She’s got _massive_ mana reserves.”

“Having a lot of magic isn’t the same as knowing how to use it,” said Elsa.

“Well, that’s what the initiation ritual is for,” said Jeanne, grinning excitedly. She grabbed the edge of her cloak, stretching it out to better display the emblem. “You want one of these Crimson Ankaa robes? Well, you’re gonna have to earn it. With a little test.” “A...test?” Lotte repeated anxiously.

“We all had to go through it when we first started,” said Catherine playfully.

“It’s been a tradition since olden times,” stated Shiki pleasantly.

“Even if it is a real pain,” Amelia grimaced.

“Well, I’m not scared!” Akko shouted with vigorous determination. “I – I mean, me and Lotte – will totally smash your test and get our guild robes!”

“I like your spirit,” said Jeanne, grinning eagerly. “Let’s take this outside.”

The gauntlet-wearing third-year took Akko and Lotte by the shoulders and practically dragged them out the doors. The rest of the guild followed with varying degrees of enthusiasm (except for Amelia, who was looking over her social media page on her smartphone). They were led down the magma road and turned right off one of the branching paths, which lead them to an open area where the ground was a solid black surface with dozens of steam geysers shooting up randomly.

Jeanne let go of Akko and Lotte’s shoulder and walked ahead of them, turning around to face them with a playful smile and her gauntlets on her hips. She was joined shortly by Lin-Lin, also striking the same pose. The rest of the guild stayed back near the edge of the terrain where Verde _somehow_ pulled out a couple of couches out of her curls for them to sit on (Lotte was _really, really, REALLY_ curious.)

Akko and Lotte brought there attention back to Jeanne and Lin-Lin when they heard a rustling sound. The Chinese girl had whipped out two sets of Crimson Ankaa’s scarlet robes behind her back, holding them up enticingly.

“Listen up, Kagari, Jansson!” Jeanne shouted. “If you want these robes and become official members of our guild, you’ll have to get through the trial I’m about to give you!”

“Bring it on!” Akko yelled.

“Is it too late to go home?” Lotte moaned.

“This trial will test your guts, your stamina, your wit, and your skills!” Jeanne continued. “Four yor initiation, you have to…pet the guild’s mascot!”

“…Eh?” Akko muttered dimly. “…Wait…that’s it? Seriously? All we gotta do is pet the mascot?”

“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad,” said Lotte, sighing in relief.

“He-he, I wouldn’t be so calm if I were you,” said Jeanne, chuckling wickedly. “Lin-Lin, could you call him?”

The Chinese witch turned her back to them, bringing two fingers to her mouth before blow a shrill, ear-piercing whistle that carried through the volcano.

For a moment, there was no silence only broken occasionally by the steam vents…. Then Akko heard it: a small, muffle boom that sounded miles away. She heard it again three seconds later, this time loud and more distinct. It happened again, and she felt the ground tremble beneath her feet. Once more, and several pebbles on the ground jumped. At the fifth time, Akko thought she heard thunder and the sound of crushing gravel.

A large shadow leaped in the distance, flying over the magma rivers, and landed in front of the girls with an earth-shattering thud. Akko and Lotte tilted their heads back, eyes bulging and jaws hanging, staring up at the monolithic beast.

It reminded Akko of a giant Siberian husky, except it had purple fur with a white belly. Oh yeah, and it was twenty feet tall and had three heads. Even with its massive paws and razor-sharp teeth the size of Akko’s head, the three-headed monster wore a collar around each of its necks and an ornament on its chest, like it was someone’s pet. This fact was reinforced when one of the heads lowered down to Lin-Lin’s level and the short Chinese scratched it behind the ear; the giant dog shook its back leg, making the ground shake violently.

“Hello, Cerby, did you miss me over the break?” Lin-Lin talked to the giant dog in a baby voice.

“Is that…a Cerberus?” Lotte asked hesitantly.

“Yep!” Jeanne answered brightly.

“His name is Cerby!” Lin-Lin chirped in.

“And…we’re supposed to pet it?” Akko asked, dumbfoundedly.

“That’s right!” said Jeanne.

“You can do it!” Zizi cheered from a safe distance.

“Watch out for his teeth – they really hurt!” Elsa added unhelpfully.

“I’m not explaining anything to Professor Ursula if they die,” said Amelia, doing nothing to alleviate Akko’s nerves.

“You two are witches now,” said Jeanne, staring down the freshmen girls. “You didn’t think it was going to be easy, did you? You’re allowed to use magic or whatever you want as long as you pet one of Cerby’s heads. If you’re able to do that, you’ll be recognized as official Crimson Ankaa witches.”

Akko and Lotte looked back up at the Cerberus. The titanic hound made a rumbling noise in his chest as he stared them down. Lotte squeaked silently and ducked behind Akko, who gulped loudly. They were snack-sized to that beast; this whole thing was suicidal!

“I hope you’re ready, because the test is starting now!” Jeanne announced, throwing out her arm dramatically.

The gigantic husky reeled back its three head and exhaled a mighty howl that literally knocked Akko and Lotte off their feet, sending them flying backward. They slid listlessly across the ground, stopping in front of the other Crimson Ankaa witches, who, for some reason were getting buckets of popcorn out of Verde’s curls.

Akko raised her head up slightly. Cerby was sitting like an obedient dog beside Lin-Lin, all six of his eyes narrowing as if challenging the Japanese girl to approach him. Akko grimace.

“I hope Diana is having a better time than me,” she moaned.

* * *

Diana’s knees trembled and buckled, leaning against her sabre for support, her breaths coming out in raspy spurts. Exhaustion raked her body, which suddenly felt like it weighted a hundred pounds extra. All around her were the other freshmen girls, lying flat on the ground, moaned in pain and fatigue. Diana breathed deeply through her nose, letting out a long exhale through her mouth, and searched across the courtyard.

Avery closed her Grimoire with a snap and tucked it away in her bag, the bird on her shoulder flapping its wings like a taunt. The second-year girl did not have a scratch on her or appear remotely winded. Even if it was five witches against one – including Diana with her Six-Star Grimoire – it had been a complete one-sided beatdown in the older girl’s favor.

“All right, I think you girls had enough,” said Croix, marching forward from the sidelines. She gestured to Avery, who nodded and walked back to join the rest of her guildmates. “I hope this demonstration has taught you what is to be expected from Royal Regulus witches and take this as a learning experience that will drive you forward to becoming stronger and more disciplined.”

‘ _That was…incredible_ ,’ Diana thought, astounded. ‘ _There’s only a year difference between us, but the gap in our skills is like comparing a mountain to a molehill. Even with my Six-Star Grimoire, I didn’t stand a chance…. This is the power of Luna Nova’s strongest guild…._ ”

The blonde Brit was brought out of her thoughts when she felt something being draped over her shoulders with a quiet rustle. Looking down, she realized that she was now wearing the cobalt cloak of the Royal Regulus; the golden sigil glistening in the light of the castle’s lanterns. An older student had been the one to gift Diana with her robe, offering her hand with a kind smile. Diana accepted, albeit reluctantly. The other Freshmen girls were also assisted to their feet, each of them wearing the Royal Regulus cloaks as well.

“This is the first step on your journey,” announced Croix theatrically. “Now that you know your limitations, it’s your job to overcome them. I swear, as long as you put in the effort, you will leave Luna Nova as some of the most powerful witches in the world…. Now, I’m sure you all would like to get some rest after that vicious beating you took. Blair, would you mind showing them to their rooms?”

A blonde Italian girl, Blair, nodded eagerly and waved for the freshmen to follow her. The whole group groaned in a chorus; their bodies still painfully sore. Diana treaded in the back of the group, staring down at the floor, lost in thought.

‘ _This school is even more difficult than I could have imagined,_ ’ Diana frowned in worry. ‘ _I hope_ _Akko isn’t doing something stupid…again._ ’

* * *

“ ** _I’M GONNA PET YOU!!!_** ” Akko howled determinedly.

Akko full-blown sprinted at the Cerberus, yelling at the top of her lungs, having no real plan in mind other than charging in. Jeanna and Lin-Lin sidestepped her as she dashed between them; the former grimacing sympathetically and the latter snickering behind her hands. Cerby tilted all three of his heads and exchanged glances with one another like they were saying, “Is this girl for real?”

Akko came up to the three-headed hound…who raised his paw and literally _flicked_ her away. Lotte and the Crimson Ankaa tilted their heads back, watching Akko sail through the air and landed face first on the ground. Some winced and others bellowed with laughter. But the Japanese didn’t stay down for long; Akko immediately ripped her face from the ground and shot back up with her fist raised.

“Not yet! I’m not done yet!” she roared.

“Uh, Akko,” Lotte said weakly, but was largely ignored.

The Japanese witch ran back at the three-headed beast with the same strategy of charging head-on, but kept her eyes on Cerby’s paws to duck when needed. But Cerby didn’t raise his paws again. Instead, he exhaled heavily through all three of his noses, generating a short burst of wind that shot her back to the starting point again. Akko jumped again and repeated the strategy, this time watching the heads. She failed to notice Cerby sweeping his tail around until it swatted her across the terrain, falling flat on her face at Lotte’s feet.

“The kid’s got guts, but she doesn’t seem all that bright,” said Elsa, leaning against her fist as she watched Cerby send Akko flying from her latest attempt.

“Lin-Lin said that Kagari has massive mana reserves,” Zizi reminded them. “She has a better sense of a person’s magical power than anyone else. So why isn’t Kagari using her magic?”

Over with Jeanne and Lin-Lin, the crimsonette was pondering the same thing as they watched Akko go flying for the umpteenth time.

“I said they could use their magic if they wanted,” said Jeanne, frowning. “So why hasn’t Kagari pulled out her Grimoire yet? She’s not gonna get anywhere by running at him.”

“Because she doesn’t want to hurt Cerby,” said Lin-Lin with a small grin. “Kagari’s magic is _super_ destructive. If she used her Grimoire, Cerby would get seriously injured, or worse.”

“Is that right?” asked Jeanne curiously. “What kind of magic _does_ she use, anyway?”

“Hmm…it’s kinda hard to tell,” said Lin-Lin, stroking her chin thoughtfully. “Most people only have one type, but Kagari’s magic looks like it has a bit of…everything, really.”

“Seriously?” Jeanne said, blinking surprisingly. “And she’s in _our_ guild. How did _that_ happen?”

In her latest attempt to pet Cerby, Akko had gone around the three-headed hound and jumped on his backside, grappling handfuls of its fur to brace. Akko cheered to herself. This was the first time she actually touched him. But her shining moment only lasted for a few second before Cerby raised his back leg and kicked the Japanese witch off as if she were a flea.

Akko fell prone at Lotte’s feet, her pathetic moaning muffled into the ground.

“It’s hopeless,” Akko groaned, raising her head to look up at her friend, lip quivering sadly. “We’re never gonna pet that _stupid_ dog! We’re never gonna get our capes!”

“There, there,” Lotte said gently, petting the whimpering Japanese girl. That did not improve Akko’s mood. “I don’t think just running at it is going to work. It’s much too big. We need to think of some way to make Cerby _let_ us pet him.”

“Can – “ Akko sniffled, “Can you do anything?”

“Well…maybe,” said Lotte uncertainly. “I think there might be a way….”

“Really?!” Akko perked up instantly, eyes glittering. “What is it?! What is it?!”

“Um…there is a spell…in my Grimoire,” Lotte said nervously. “It might be able to…. But I don’t know if it will work. I mean…I’m just a Three-Star – “

“So?!” Akko interrupted. “Just because your Grimoire only has three stars doesn’t mean it’s not good! If you’re still thinking about what that jerk at the exam said, then you should forget about them!” She clasped her hands with Lotte’s surprising the Finnish girl. “My idol, Shiny Chariot, used to say ‘A Believing Heart is your magic’. If you think your spell will work, then I believe in you! Now all you gotta do is believe in yourself!”

“Akko…,” Lotte murmured astonishingly. Then she took a deep breath and smiled, “Okay. If you believe in me, then I’ll believe in me, too.”

“You got this, Lotte!” Akko chirped confidently, clapping her on the shoulder. “Show them what your made of!”

The Finnish witch squared her shoulder, pulling out her Grimoire from its pouch, and marched forward. The girls of Crimson Ankaa followed her with curious stares as she walked up to Cerby. The three-headed hounds tilted his heads; a soft rumbling in his chest. Lotte’s Grimoire glowed with a pale-blue aura, floating unsupported as it rapidly flipped through the pages, stopping somewhere near the back cover.

Lotte took a deep breath and muttered, “ ** _Spirit Magic: Harmonious Melody._** ”

And then, surprisingly, she began to sing.

She spoke no words, only a series of notes that wove together into a beautiful, and haunting, tune. It didn’t sound that special in Akko’s opinion…but the Japanese couldn’t bring herself to look away. And neither could Cerby or the Crimson Ankaa girls. Lotte’s voice was like a siren’s song drawing them in.

Akko only managed to snap out of her daze when her attention was drawn to the glowing anomalies that suddenly started forming out of nothing. They were small, incorporeal entities that were seemingly made out of pure light, their appearances varying on the side of cartoonish with tiny bodies and large round heads. These…spirits…appeared by the dozen, giggling and floating playfully in circles above Lotte head as she continued to sing undisturbed.

The, as Finnish witch sang a higher note than normal, the spirit turned as one toward Cerby and flew at the giant dog like a shower of shooting stars. The Cerberus understandably panicked and swiped his paws at the spirits, but the spectral entities predictably passed through unharmed. But as they flew through his paw, Akko noticed that Cerby’s body seemed to visibly relax, his arm practically going limp. One of the spirits floated into his side and the giant dog slumped in that direction; another passed through the middle head and his eyes began to feel heavy; one spirit passed through his tail and it fell flat on the ground with a _thud!_

The spirits weaved through and around Cerby like fireflies in the night; Akko was certain her jaw was dropped in awe at the stunning scene. But as Lotte finished the last note of her mysterious song and closed her Grimoire, the spirits faded away like extinguished flames.

Cerby opened all three of his mouths, bellowing loud yawns, pacing a small circle like dogs did when trying to get comfortable, then practically dropped on the ground, his three heads resting on his paws. All six eyes were closed and his body was rising and falling with rumbling snores. He was asleep!

“Holy…. Lotte, that was amazing!” Akko breathed quietly, running over to her friend and shaking her by the shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me you had such awesome magic.

“Heh, thanks,” said Lotte shyly. “But it’s really not that great. Spirit Magic generally lets me communicate with already existing spirits and ask them for help. Those spirits I called just now are sleep spirits and they…well, you saw what they did. But it’s not very useful in fighting. For one thing, I can’t move or I’ll lose my concentration. And People don’t generally wait around for me to call them….”

“Well, I think it’s awesome,” said Akko, then turned to Cerby. “So…is he really asleep.”

“Yeah, he should be out for a while,” Lotte answered. “It should be safe to pet him now.”

Akko trusted her friend’s judgment. She and Lotte walked up to Cerby’s middle head, raising their hands hesitantly…and gently bushed them over the dog’s snout. It was surprisingly cold and wet despite the heat of the volcano.

Jeanne appeared behind them without making a sound, suddenly grappling them by the waists, lifting them off the ground, and spinning them around with a celebratory _whoop!_

“You did it! Well done!” she cheered. She spun them around one more time before setting them back on their feet, soon surrounded by the rest of the guild. “That was some smart thinking there,

Jansson! That’s the first time anyone's ever thought of putting Cerby to sleep! Good on you!”

“It’s been a while since we didn’t have to save a freshmen’s hide,” said Amelia, looking genuinely interested for the first time. “I thought I’d be another disaster like last year where Lin-Lin challenged Cerby to a wrestling match.”

“I totally would have won that!” Lin-Lin declared furiously.

“Keep telling yourself that, shorty,” Zizi teased; Lin-Lin howled like a raging animal, but was held back by Shiki.

“You two did amazing,” Jeanne complimented Akko and Lotte. “Especially you, Jansson. I understand why you thought you weren’t good enough because you only have a Three-Star Grimoire. This world is unfair and witches are judged by the number of stars they have. That’s why so many girls under Four-Stars drop out of Luna Nova after the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony.”

‘ _Huh, now that I think about it…there were less girls at the entrance exam than before,’_ thought Akko.

“But if you ask me, those girls gave up way too quickly,” declared Jeanne. “I believe that everyone has value, no matter how many stars they have. And you” – she patted Lotte’s head gently – “you just proved me right. Thanks for not giving up, Jansson.”

“The one you should thank is Akko,” Lotte murmured, smiling softly. “She’s the one who encouraged me.”

“You’re a good person, Kagari,” Jeanne praised. “I guess you of all people would understand what it’s like to be looked down on. You two will make great additions to the guild. Speaking of which. Lin-Lin, if you please?”

The short Chinese witch stopped flailing in Shiki’s arms and looked back at them with a wide grin. She approached Akko and Lotte, hands tucked behind her back, then swiped her hands across the air in a blur of motion.

Akko blinked, wondering what she just did, when she realized that there was an extra weight on her shoulders. She looked down and made an awestruck noise when she saw the Crimson Ankaa cloak draped across her chest. She looked sideways at Lotte, who looked like she was going to burst into tears. They had done it! They were real Luna Nova witches now!

“Looks good on you girls,” said Zizi.

“We’re so excited to have you with us,” said Shiki happily.

“From now on, you are officially members of the Crimson Ankaa guild,” said Jeanne proudly. “You two better work hard so that you don’t bring shame to the guild or Professor Ursula, you hear?”

“We will!” Akko declared, bending into a traditional bow. “I look forward to working with all of you! _Arigato gozaimasu_!”

“All right, all right, enough shouting,” said Elsa, grimacing as she shoved her pinky into her ear.

 _“Gomen'nasai!”_ Akko shouted.

“Let’s head back to the dorm and see if we can salvage anything from the party,” Catherine suggested. “Verde, do you still have some ice cream left over?”

“Vanilla or chocolate?” asked Verde, pulling out two large tubs from her curls.

‘ _I am_ SUPER _curious!_ ’ Lotte mentally screamed.

While the Crimson Ankaa returned the dormitory to celebrate their newest additions, they remained blissfully unaware of the tall, gloomy figure watching them from the fortress ramparts.

Her skin was unhealthily pale, almost grayish in tone, and had long, pastel mauve hair that framed her face, concealing her left eye. Her only visible eye was blood-red, droopy and half-lidded with visible bags underneath like she hadn’t slept in years. One would almost mistake her for a ghost, though she was actually a witch as proven by the Crimson Ankaa cloak draped around her shoulders.

She made a noncommittal noise as she watched the others from a distance, making no sign that she had any desire to join them. If anything, she looked…disdainful.

“There you are, Sucy.”

The gloomy girl, Sucy, turned her head slowly over her shoulder. Ursula appeared through the doorway, wiping away the sweat from her brow; she must have been walking around the entire fortress looking for her.

“Our new students have just arrived,” Ursula informed her.

“I know,” said Sucy dryly, pointing out into the distance. “I just saw them.”

“They’re the same age as you,” Ursula added cheerfully. “I think you might get along with them, though Akko admittedly might be a bit of a handful. You can go meet them at the party – “

“Not interested,” Sucy said instantly.

“…You should at least give them a chance,” said Ursula, frowning. “I know things didn’t go so well for you at Hexside, but – “

“I didn’t come here to make friends,” Sucy stated firmly, leaving no room for argument. “I just want to get through the next three years and move on with my life. Simple as that. So don’t try to push your ‘power of friendship’ on me, because I don’t want it.”

Sucy walked – more like glided – past Ursula toward the door –

“You don’t have to be alone, you know?” Ursula spoke up suddenly.

Sucy paused at the threshold, her back still turned to the teacher.

“…We both know that’s a lie,” Sucy muttered.

And she walked away.


	6. The First Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some new content has been added to this chapter. Be on the look out.

With one last sweep of her pen, she leaned back into her chair with an exaggerated groan.

Being confined to her office signing entire mountains of paper was not how she had wanted to spend her day, especially when it was the first sunny afternoon in weeks. She swiveled around in her chair, resting her chin on her fist, as she stared out the window down into the colorful garden below. She saw a couple of children playing a game of magical tag – one of the girls was slinging mud without touching it. How she envied them….

“Ugh, when I became Magic Empress, I didn’t know it would be so much _wooork_ ,” she groaned, turning back around to her desk. On her left-hand side was a stack of papers as high as a grown man that she had spent the last five hours reviewing and signing. “Well, at least the worst is over now – “

After two years on the job, she should’ve learned to keep her mouth shut by now. No sooner did the words leave her lips did the door to her office swing open, and her assistant – a young French woman with magenta hair pulled into a bun – came sweeping into the room with another stack of papers as tall as the first one.

“Oh, good, you’re not busy,” said the French woman crisply before the empress could get a word in, dumping the stack on the free space of her desk. “You’ll need to review these forms next and sign off on them. Make sure you actually _read_ them this time. We don’t want to have another incident like the minotaur mudwrestling federation.”

“Ugh! You’re killing me here, Amélie!” the empress whined, throwing herself flat on the desk. “Can’t we take a break for a little while? I wanna go play…”

“You most certainly will not!” Amélie said like a scolding mother. “You are the Magic Empress! Therefore, you have a responsibility to uphold!” The empress groaned again; Amélie sighed inwardly. “But…if it makes you feel better, a letter came in for you from Luna Nova Magical Academy this morning.”

“Really?” asked the empress, raising her head interestedly. “My alma mater is sending me letters? Professor Badcock isn’t still harassing me about my late fees, is she? I keep telling her I returned those books on time!”

“No, it would appear that Samantha Badcock was dismissed for attempting to steal a student’s Grimoire,” said Amélie; the empress’s brows disappeared in her hairline, surprised. “According to Headmistress Holbrooke, a student recently received a Six-Star Grimoire: Diana Cavendish.”

“Bernadette’s kid?” said the empress, leaning back with an interested gaze. “Not surprising. She is descended from one of the Nine Olde Witches.”

“There’s one more thing,” said Amélie. “It’s…well, see for yourself.”

Amélie the assistant reached into her pocket and handed her the neatly folded letter. The Magic Empress spread the note out on her desk. Her eyes roamed back and forth through the paragraphs, a mixture of shock and awe filling her expression and she neared the end. Once the whole thing was read, the Magic Empress folded her hands underneath her chin and hummed thoughtfully…. And then, her lips twitched in a subtle smile.

“Atsuko Kagari, huh…?” the empress murmured. “Say, Amélie, isn’t almost time for the yearly school inspections?”

“I’ll sort out the details, ma’am,” said Amélie with an exasperated sigh. There was no point in arguing with her once she became interested in something. “ _After_ you finish your paperwork.”

The empress groaned loudly.

* * *

In barely any time at all, the weekend had rolled on by and the morning (or whatever counted as morning in an active volcano) of the first Monday rose over the Crimson Ankaa guild. It was the first time in her life that Akko actually woke up voluntarily before noon. Today was her first day at Luna Nova! Her first magic lessons!

The Japanese witch had practically jumped out of bed, slamming her fist on the alarm clock on her bedside table, and pounced on the uniform she had laid out the night before. Her sleeping shirt and shorts were tossed somewhere in her room (she had her own room!) and were replaced by the Luna Nova uniform in record time. She threw on the navy-blue tunic, tied the apple-red sash around her waist, shoved her feet in the pointed boots, and topped her head with the pointed hat, grinning from ear-to-ear the whole time. The last was her guild cloak, which she had folded neatly on the dresser like it was a holy artifact.

Akko stepped in front of the full-length mirror, looking herself from every angle. Giddiness swelled up inside her chest; she looked just like a real witch! She wondered if this was how Shiny Chariot felt when she first donned her uniform….

“Yay! Transformation complete!” Akko shouted eagerly, pumping her fists in the air. “Time to move out!”

She left her room and headed toward the cafeteria. Shiki had been kind enough to give her a tour of the fortress they would be calling home for the next three years. It was confusing at first (especially when more than half the rooms in the building had nothing in them), but Akko managed to memorize it quick enough. She practically glided down the spiral staircase, shouting a quick “Good Morning!” to Cerby through the window, and plowed through the double doors on the right.

When she stepped into the cafeteria, Lotte and the upperclassmen were already sitting down for breakfast.

Half of the room was made up of eight long tables lined in two rows – all of them scratched, chipped or covered in graffiti – and the chairs and benches were all mismatched; not one was similar to another. Some might have seen this as poor and indecorous, but Akko thought it added character. The other half made up the open kitchen, which was probably the only clean area in the entire dormitory, Akko thought. Catherine was in the kitchen by herself, standing over the stove with four sizzling pans, pouring copious amounts of sugar on bread slices. The flirtatious witch had her hair free from its usual bun and the strands were moving around like they were alive, grabbing multiple items at once without Catherine even looking. Akko didn’t know what kind of magic she used, but it must be convenient for day-to-day life.

“ _Ohayō gozaimasu!_ ” Akko shouted jubilantly.

“Good morning, Akko,” Lotte greeted brightly as the Japanese plopped down next to her. “You’re excited today.”

“How could I not be?!” Akko cried, stars in her eyes. “It’s the first day of school! Ooh, I’m so excited!”

“Ah, I remember when I was that bright-eyed and optimistic,” said Jeanne nostalgically, sipping her coffee.

“Just wait until you get into the soul crushing experience that is academic life,” said Amelia blandly.

“Well, you lovely ladies can’t get your soul crushed on an empty stomach,” said Catherine chipperly, sauntering across the cafeteria. Her hair was carrying several loaded plates, each of which were gently placed in front of the guild members. “Since today is my turn to cook and it’s Akko and Lotte’s first day, I decided to make something special: _pain perdu_ and _canistrelli_ with _oeufs cocotte_ and, of course, croissants with jam. _Bon appetit._ ”

“Ooh, French food!” said Akko, clapping her hands enthusiastically. “ _Itadakimasu!_ ”

“So what classes do you have today?” asked Zizi as Akko practically inhaled her breakfast.

“Oh, um, let me check,” said Lotte. She fumbled with her bag until she retrieved her class schedule. “First period is magic linguistics. Then, Fundamentals of Magic Pharmaceuticals, followed by Magic Numerology."

“Oof, Finnelan right of the bat,” Elsa winced.

“That’s a crappy way to start a first day,” said Lin-Lin, who was chopping bamboo over her food.

“Professor Finnelan is one of the guild leaders, right?” Lotte asked apprehensively.

“Saffron Shaula – the number two guild behind Royal Regulus,” answered Shiki. “She’s the scariest teacher of them all, and coming from me, that’s saying something.”

“I know her,” Akko grumbled through stuffed cheeks. “She hates me. She tried to stop me from coming to Luna Nova in the first place.”

“Well, to be fair, she hates just about everyone,” said Jeanne casually. “She has a reputation for extreme bias. She plays favorites with the talented students – basically anyone with Five-Stars or higher – and give us average folk a hard time. Worse of all, she always gets at least one of her worst students expelled every year.”

“That’s horrible!” Lotte gasped.

“Yeah, it sucks,” Jeanne grimaced. “But even so, she’s probably the most competent teacher in the entire school. So good luck trying to get rid of her.”

“Well, I’m not going to let her stop me from fulfilling my dream!” Akko declared with a clenched fist. “Today is the day I take my first step as a witch!”

* * *

Magic school, Akko quickly learned, was incredible…ly boring.

First class of the day was Magical Linguistics. Even though Akko had no idea what ‘linguistics’ were (*Insert facepalm here*), it had the word ‘magic’, so it was bound to be fun and exciting.

She was wrong. So very, very wrong…

The very instant Akko set foot in the classroom, the teacher, Professor Finnelan, shot her a look of pure venom, which was completely unfair, in Akko’s opinion. She even showed up five minutes before class! She told Akko to take a seat in a very strained voice, and the Japanese quickly obeyed, not wanting to give her a reason to hand out detentions on the first day. Akko plopped into the seat in the middle row next to Lotte, waving excitedly to Diana when she walked into the classroom flanked by the two bullies, Hannah and Barbara. Diana waved back lightheartedly and took a seat in the row directly in front of her, sending a thrill of giddiness rushing through Akko’s body.

But when the actual class started, the Japanese witch found it very difficult to keep her eyes open.

“In summery, the luna alphabet is a traditional writing system that was used by ancient witches,” Professor Finnelan droned on endlessly, gesturing to the glowing moon phases on the blackboard with her pointer stick. “It constitutes a form of phonetic orthography.”

Aaaaand that did it –

**_Thud!_ **

Diana perked up from her intensive note-taking at the small noise and looked back over her shoulder. Unsurprisingly, her girlfriend was plopped facedown in her notebook, snoring like a train, drooling puddling near her face. Diana grimaced; she needed to pay attention in class, even if she was cute like this.

“Psst, Akko,” Lotte hissed, nudging her friend lightly. “Akko, wake up, before the teacher notices.”

“A little late for that,” Professor Finnelan called from the front; Lotte squeaked like a frightened mouse. The professor brought up her Grimoire (a sandy-beige with five gray stars) without opening it and wordlessly shot a chalkboard erasure with pinpoint accuracy to smack the top of Akko’s head.

“E=mc2!” Akko shrieked, shooting up like a jack-in-the-box. The whole class laughed out loud and Akko, realizing what had happened, flushed with embarrassment.

“I know not to expect much from you, Miss Kagari,” Professor Finnelan glowered, “but I do expect you to stay awake in my class.”

Akko groaned as she slid down her chair until only her reddening forehead was visible. Diana shook her head sympathetically.

* * *

Fundamentals of Magic Pharmaceuticals with Professor Lukić was just as bad, if not worse.

It wasn’t that the class was considered boring by any means, but the fumes from the cauldron in the front of the lecture hall were so pungent, the majority of students had to find alternative means of plugging their noses. Some were less fortunate and promptly passed out in their chairs or on the floor, but Professor Lukić paid them no heed. The old hag cackled like a witch stereotype from those awful American movies, stirring the contents of the cauldron, which somehow _amplified_ the smell.

“Shishishishi!” Professor Lukić guffawed. “The more you stir, the further the color changes. Then add a lively frog into the cauldron. The frog must be taken straight from the water to avoid its secretions.”

Akko could barely take in a word she was saying; she had taken refuge from the noxious smell by stuffing her head in her bag. Diana, on the other hand, had opened her Grimoire to craft a barrier of light around herself, redirecting the toxic cloud away.

“Entrail of newt, crushed bat nails! Carefully, carefully add them to the pot,” Professor Lukic continued with greater enthusiasm, not the least bit concerned that more than half her class was unconscious. “How’s that?! Doesn’t it have a wonderous odor?!”

Akko didn’t hear any more from that point; she passed out from the lack of oxygen in her bag.

* * *

And to cap off the worst first day of school ever was Magic Numerology, which was just as boring as Magical Linguistic, only it involved a lot of math. Despite popular belief, Akko was actually good at math, even if she didn’t like the subject.

The only bright spot was that Professor Holbrooke was teaching the class – this must have been Badcock’s lesson before she was arrested, Akko thought. So far, Professor Holbrooke was the only teacher who didn’t instantly hate Akko the moment she walked in; in fact, she smiled brightly and waved to the Japanese first thing. But just because the teacher was nice didn’t make the class any better as Professor Holbrooke spent the last half-hour on a tangent about something Akko couldn’t follow.

“As I have explained, it is believed that Pythagoras laid the foundations of divination,” said Professor Holbrooke, reading directly from the massive book on the podium. “Now, please turn to line 102 on page 923 of your textbooks.”

Akko couldn’t be bothered to follow her instructions, too busy lost in her daydreams about flying across the Hokkaido countryside on broomstick, Diana clinging to her from behind, her bubbly laughter in Akko’s ear….

“From a numerology perspective,” continued Professor Holbrooke, “the numbers one through five can be used to represent the universe – “

“Professor Holbrooke,” Diana interrupted surprisingly. The English aristocrat rose from her chair, poised and dignified. “I believe it reads one through four, not one through five.”

“Hmm?” Professor Holbrooke hummed. If she was offended by Diana’s interruption, she didn’t show. She readjusted her glasses and checked the book again. “My, my, you are absolutely correct.

I guess my eyesight isn’t what it used to be. Thank you, Diana.”

Barbara snickered as Diana sat back down, muttering, “Talk about losing face.”

Akko, meanwhile, was dreaming about blowing up a missile on a broomstick in space…

* * *

Lunch period was the only saving grace in Akko’s miserable first day. She and Lotte had stumbled out of their last class, half asleep, barely conscious enough to make their way down to the first floor. The cafeteria was packed nearly to capacity with girls of every guild color mingling together like an abstract painting. A loud mob formed at lunch line, witches shoving each other out of the way in a desperate bid for the fresh made food rather than leftovers from last night; the plump girl from Jade Mimosa had horded enough to make a food tower.

Akko and Lotte miraculously survived the starved crowd and found a free table. Though when they sat down, Akko slammed her fists on the table, making their trays jump.

“What’s going on here?!” she screeched. “How are lessons about magic _this_ boring?! Isn’t magic supposed to be flashy and all about dreams and miracles?!”

“I really don’t know what to tell you, Akko,” said Lotte lightly. “This is just how it’s always been.”

“Well, it sucks!” Akko cried.

“I thought I heard your dulcet tone.” Akko perked up as Jeanne and Shiki walked over to their table, plopping themselves in the free seats next to them. Jeanne waved her fork around, saying, “So, I take it your day’s going well so far?”

“Ugh, this is nothing like I expected,” Akko grimaced. “I can hardly believe that this is the same school that Shiny Chariot learned magic at.”

“I suppose we should have realized you would have an obscured view of magic based on your background,” Shiki hummed thoughtfully. “Most non-witches fail to understand that using magic isn’t as simple as waving a wand and saying a few goofy, nonsensical words. Modern media does a poor job portraying how _real_ magic works – “

“And that bitch Rowling isn’t helping anything,” Jeanne muttered.

“You need to let that go, sweetie,” Shiki smiled amusingly. “Anyway, there a lot of hard science that goes into making real magic happen. Our Grimoires act as mediums to make the process easier, but there’s no mistaking the true value of hard work and a good education."

“Well, I wish someone would have told me it would be this hard,” Akko grumbled.

“I did tell you it would be this hard. Several times, in fact.”

Akko craned her head backward, finding herself staring up at Diana with her arms crossed and her head tilted slightly with an amused smirk. It was the first time that Akko noticed her girlfriend’s new royal-blue cloak with the golden lantern emblem. It looked pretty good on her, Akko thought. Unfortunately, she was also flanked by Hannah and Barbara as well – did they follow Diana everywhere she went?

Akko let out a childish whine as she threw herself at Diana, wrapping her arms around the blonde’s waist and burying her face in the other’s tunic. Hannah and Barbara bristled; Lotte turned red-faced; Jeanne and Shiki exchanged smug looks. Diana ignored all of them as she patted the top of Akko’s head, sighing dramatically.

“ _Dianaaaaa_!” Akko whined. “This school is boring! I don’t like it! Let’s leave!”

“How about we _don’t_ become dropouts after the first day?” said Diana, rolling her eyes at her girlfriend’s overreaction.

“Why is that commoner holding Diana like that?” Hannah hissed loudly to Barbara, not bothering to keep her voice low.

“And why is Diana allow it?” Barbara returned.

Akko pulled her head back and stuck her tongue out childishly at them; Hannah and Barbara gnashed their teeth furiously, but didn’t dare retaliate in front of Diana. Victory for Akko!

That’s when Akko noticed someone walking behind Hannah and Barbara; someone wearing the Crimson Ankaa cloak.

Akko didn’t recognize her from the welcome party the other day, nor from around the guild dorm. It would be hard to forget someone with gray skin and a sickly disposition like hers. The Japanese watched her from a distance as she grabbed a seat in the farthest corner of the cafeteria by herself, looking like a zombie poking at her food listlessly.

“Hey, who’s that?” asked Akko curiously, pointing to the new girl.

“Hmm?” Jeanne looked around, following Akko’s finger. “Oh, her? That’s Sucy Manbavaran. The transfer student from the Hexside. I guess you two haven’t met her yet.”

“Manbavaran?” Diana repeated with a hint of surprise in her tone. “And in the Venomous Manbavarans?”

“That’s the one,” said Shiki. “We were surprised when Professor Ursula brought someone from a prestigious family like hers to the dorm the other day. Though we haven’t seen her much lately. She spends all day holed in her room.”

“Who’re the Manbavarans?” Akko asked innocently.

“The Manbavarans are a well-known witch family that gained prominence in the 14 century, when one of them accidentally created the Black Plague,” said Diana, pulling Akko to her feet. “The Manbavarans are a long line of potioneers known for specializing in poisons and toxins. They are essentially the opposite of the Cavendish family, who come from a long line of healers and doctors.”

“If the Manbavans make a living by creating poisons,” asked Lotte, “then how did they get so famous?”

“There’s a lot more money to be made in war than peace,” said Jeanne sagely. “The Manbavaran’s built their fortune off of selling poison weapons during both world wars and every other skirmish after to anyone willing to pay. They’re one of the most powerful families – magically and financially – but they don’t have the most stellar reputations.”

"The fact that she transferred in from Hexside doesn't smooth things over for her," remarked Shiki.

"Why? What's Hexside?" asked Akko curiously.

"So you seriously not know anything?" Hannah questioned indignantly.

"Are you really that stupid?" Barbara sneered.

""Why you...." Akko growled, preparing to rise from her chair, when Diana held up her hand to stop her.

"Let's not cause a scene on our first day," said Diana, though she did shoot a warning glare to Hannah and Barbara. "To answer your question, Akko, Hexside is one of the other magic schools."

"There are other magic schools?" Akko gasped surprisingly.

"You didn't think Luna Nova was the only one, did you?" said Jeanne. Akko chuckled and scratched the back of her head sheepishly, proving she _did_ think that. Jeanne sighed and shook her head. "There are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of witches all over the world. That's more than one school can handle. So the Nine Olde Witches made _four_ magic schools located at the four corners of the world. There's Luna Nova in the north, Hexside School of Magic and Demonics in the east, Mysticor Institute of Sorcery in the south, and St. Freya University for the Supernatural in the west."

"Each school specializes in a different type of magical education," Shiki continued. "As the name implies, Hexside teaches about demonics and arcane arts."

"So because Sucy is from the Manbavaran family _and_ transferred from Hexside, people are scared of her," Lotte summarized.

“Can you blame them?” Hannah muttered out loud. “She looks like a walking corpse.”

“She could keel over right now and no one could tell the difference,” Barbara added.

Akko made a humming noise, staring at Sucy for a long minute. Then, making up her mind, she marched past Diana and approached the sickly girl’s table with the friendliest smile she could muster.

Sucy had been poking her fork at the gray, shapeless mass that she had specifically ordered (earning bewildered stares from the goblins), almost certain she could coerce it to move with enough prodding. The sickly witch jolted in her seat when some weirdo with a topknot slammed their hands on the table across from her, grinning like a psychopath. It took only a moment for Sucy to recognize the weirdo as one of the girls who had taken the guilds’ ridiculous initiation test the other day (of which Sucy had not personally partaken in.) Before Sucy could ask what she wanted, the Japanese started talking.

“Hi, I’m Atsuko Kagari, but everyone calls me Akko!” she said loudly. “You’re Sucy, right? Looks like we’re in the same guild together, which is really weird that we haven’t met before. You’re from a super famous witch family, right? You must know all kinds of magic by now! So lucky! Ever since I saw Shiny Chariot when I was six, it’s always been my dream to become a witch! Or more like, that’s when my fate was decided! Everyone kept saying I don't have what it takes to be a witch, but I proved them wrong!”

Sucy gave her a blank stare, which made Akko slightly uncomfortable. Then, the sickly witch gave her lunch one hard poke with her fork, and the gray slop jumped up off the tray and slapped against Akko’s face. The Japanese witch shrieked and stumbled backward, flailing her arms wildly, until she knocked into a table of Purple Pollux students. While the witches whose lunches were ruined broke out in loud complaints, Akko ripped the gray mass off her face and looked around. She spotted Sucy walking (gliding?) toward the exit.

“H-Hey, wait up!” Akko sputtered. She bounced to her feet and dashed across the cafeteria, stopping in front of Sucy. “Okay, so that wasn’t a good first impression. Maybe I came on too strong? I just wanted to be your friend since we’re in the same guild together. We could sit together and get to know each other. Like, what’s your favorite food or what kind of magic do you use. Diana – she’s my girlfriend – says that your family uses poison stuff. Is that true?”

Sucy’s pale face visibly darkened; Akko flinched, stammering to a stop. What happened? Did she say something wrong? Did she offend her somehow? But just as quickly as it came, the morose expression vanished as Sucy offered her hand to Akko in a seemingly friendly gesture. Akko sighed in relief, shaking the offered limb with both hands.

“Let’s get along, okay?” said Akko cheerfully.

But somewhere in between the shaking, Akko felt something slide up her arms and looked down. The Japanese witch paled when she found two venomous-looking snakes constricted around her forearms.

As expected of anyone in her position, Akko screeched like a wounded banshee, flailing her arms around, yelling “Get ‘em off! Get ‘em off! Get ‘em off!” Akko barreled through four different tables, earning the enraged cries of more than a dozen students, before she fumbled her way back to her friends. Shiki intercepted the distraught girl before she could throw their lunch on the floor, holding her in place by the shoulders despite the freshman’s panicked protests.

“Akko! _Akko!_ ” Shiki shouted. “It’s _okay_! They’re not real!”

Akko stopped flailing, though a couple tears threatened to spill out of the corner of her eyes. Once she had visibly calmed, Shiki took one of the snakes by the neck and held it up into view. Instead of a scaly little beast, Akko stared into the googly eyes of a little plastic snake. Blinking owlishly, Akko plucked the other snake from her arm and found it to be a cheap little toy as well.

“Bwa! She tricked me!” Akko cried.

“You say that like it’s a hard thing to manage,” Barbara teased.

“It’s just a little sleight of hand,” said Jeanne nonchalantly. “A common trick witches use to scary each other, though plastic snakes are a new one for me.”

Akko threw away the toy snakes, grumbling, and looked back in time to see Sucy leaving the cafeteria.

“ _Mou_ , for crying out loud, what’s with that girl?” said Akko, pouting. “I was just trying to be nice.”

“That’s what you get for being chummy with a creep,” Hannah snickered. “The Manbavaran’s are freaks and monsters – the whole lot of them. Why would anyone want to be friends with them?”

Akko leered at the brunette bully before turning a sad frown toward the door where Sucy disappeared through. The sickly witch had been unnecessarily rude, but Akko couldn’t help thinking she looked so…lonely….

* * *

Very few students visited the botanical garden behind the school outside of the required pharmaceutical classes, making it the perfect place for one to hide out when they wanted to be alone. Just past the Jennifer Memorial Tree, Sucy loomed over a small patch of dirt she used to cultivate her own pet project: mushrooms. These particular mushrooms – with their melted red caps – were some that she had found around the darkest crevices of Mount Ankaa and figured she could grow on Luna Nova soil…as long as nobody noticed.

The sickly witch pulled out a flask of glowing-green liquid and removed the cork with a _pop_ ; the first emerald fumes that escaped inexplicably made a skull-and-crossbones. She carefully added a single drop to each of the mushrooms – any more would be dangerous even for her. The fungi shivered and expanded by an inch at most. But while her body moved mechanically, her mind was somewhere else entirely. She could hear several scathing voices scratching at the back of her brain –

“ _She’s a Manbavaran, isn’t she?_ ”

“ _That family of poison freaks? Ew!_ ”

“ _Don’t get too close or she’ll contaminate you_.”

“ _Can’t believe they let someone like_ her _out in public._ ”

“ _I heard she’s transferring to another school soon._ ”

“ _Good riddance. She can be someone else’s problem now._ ”

“ _They should just do the smart thing and get rid of the whole bloodline._ ”

“ _Not like anyone’s gonna miss them_.”

Sucy’s frown deepened. The girls at Hexside never attempted to keep their voices hushed; they wanted her to know how much she was despised. Even now, hundreds of miles away, she could still hear them when she was alone with her thoughts, sneering and hissing….

Then, for some reason, that strange girl popped into her head. Akko, if she remembered right. Surely someone would have told her about the Manbavaran’s reputation beforehand. The way she just invaded Sucy’s personal space, grinning like an idiot, was unnerving. Even after she purposely attacked the girl with her lunch, Akko still came back, acting like she was at fault, and she _still_ tried to act friendly with Sucy.

But that’s all it was, wasn’t it? An act? The girl was definitely an idiot from what she saw during the guild’s dumb initiation, but she wasn’t stupid enough to think they could actually be friends. And after the toy snakes, it was doubtful she’d try again….

“It was gonna happen anyway,” Sucy mumbled to herself. “I don’t need ‘friends’…. I’m better off on my own…”

She hoisted the flask of unknown formula over the next mushroom in her patch when she realized that the bottle wasn’t pouring anything. The sickly witch raised her only visible brow, shaking the bottle, but nothing came out. That can’t be right, Sucy thought. There should be enough formula to last for days. Sucy looked back at her other mushrooms before understanding what the problem was.

While she was lost in her thoughts, Sucy had unconsciously dumped her entire bottle all over the mushroom patch. The sickly witch hovered backward, dropping her flask on the ground with a _crash_ , as the mushrooms suddenly started growing out of control. First, they grew to the size of her head, then they matched her in height, and within seconds they were casting long shadows over her, throbbing violently.

Sucy knew it was a good time to make herself scarce – she could probably blame this on someone else later. But when she spun around toward the exit, more mushrooms popped out of the ground, blocking the way. It seemed that her potion didn’t just grow the mushrooms, it reproduced them as well.

“Well, that can’t be good,” said Sucy dryly.

* * *

After lunch, the Crimson Ankaa girls had a small free period before their evening classes. The four of them stopped by the library, which was nearly empty around this time, and took one of the tables near the back.

Jeanne was engrossed in a book called “ ** _One Hundred and One Sword Techniques by Arthur_ _Stabbington_** ” and Shiki hummed lightly as she followed along the words of “ ** _Casper: From_ _Friendly to Financially Unstable_**.” Lotte had pretty much taken refuge in a small fort made out of **_Night Fall_ **novels and Akko, who wasn’t a real bookworm herself, browsed intently over “ ** _The Art of Befriending by Takamachi Nanoha_**.”

“That’s it!” Akko shouted, slamming the book shut in a ‘eureka’ moment. “All I have to do is beat the crap out of Sucy and then she’ll be my friend! It’s perfect!”

Lotte poked her eyes through the gap in her book fort, saying, “I'm fairly certain that doesn’t apply to the real world.”

“I don’t know, that’s how I met my first boyfriend,” said Jeanne mirthfully.

“Didn’t he break up with you twenty minutes later?” said Shiki with a noticeably sour tone.

“Yeah, never found out why, though,” Jeanne hummed curiously. “He looked like he saw a ghost or something….”

Shiki’s subtle smirk didn’t escape Akko or Lotte’s notice. The older Japanese witch turned her head to look out the window, then suddenly rose from her seat with a gasp.

“What’s going on out there?” she said

Akko, Lotte, and Jeanne bolted out of their chairs and grouped up around Shiki, following her line of sight. They were looking toward the botanical garden, which was now being overrun with red melted mushrooms spilling out of the entrance and through the glass windows.

“Are those mushrooms?” asked Lotte.

“Yeah, I’ve seen them before, around Mount Ankaa,” said Shiki.

“But who would be growing them in the botanical garden?” Jeanne hummed thoughtfully.

“Professor Ursula always said we shouldn’t go near them because they’re super poi…son…ous….” Akko exchanged nervous glances with her guildmates, all of them coming to the same conclusion.

The four of them scrambled out the library and down the hall, ignoring Professor Nelson’s warning about no running.

* * *

In minutes, Akko and her guildmates were standing outside the botanical garden as the mushroom cluster started spreading outside to the walkway and the surrounding trees. The fungi were throbbing like beating hearts, expanding steadily with no signs of stopping. Shiki leaned over one of the mushrooms cautiously, pulling back slightly when it stretched closer to her face.

“Any ideas on how this happened?” asked Jeanne, throwing her arms protectively in front of Akko and Lotte.

“I don’t think it’s magic from a Grimoire,” said Shiki. “My guess is that someone used too much growth formula. It’s gone out of control.”

“You mean Sucy,” said Akko, knowing they were all thinking the same thing.

“There’s so much of it…,” Lotte gasped, squeaking when the mushroom cluster expanded violently again. “If we don’t do something, it could end up covering the entire school.”

“Let’s try – “ Akko started, but was interrupted when several stalks of mushrooms suddenly stretched out from then main cluster, shooting at the crimson witches. Akko and Lotte fell back, crying out surprised, but Jeanne, calm and poised, summoned her Grimoire (a crimson tome with four purple stars) and the pages flew open with a vibrant-red aura. Something extended from the surface of the pages similar to how Akko summoned the Shiny Rod and Jeanne grasped it in her metal gauntlets, shouting:

“ ** _Armament Magic: Lightning Bardiche!_** "

Akko barely caught a glimpse of the tool she had summoned: a lengthy black pole with a long, silvery cleaver-type blade at the head, crackling with electricity. The axe head faded into a silvery blur as Jeanne slashed the polearm across the air at lightning speed; faster than Diana had performed during the entrance exam. When the crimsonette paused – striking a pose, no less – the offending mushrooms dropped to the ground in uneven chunks.

“Phew, that was close,” said Jeanne, wiping the pretend sweat from her brow.

“No, it wasn’t,” Shiki retorted. “You could have just as easily moved out of the way. You wanted to show off for Akko and Lotte.”

“…So anyway,” said Jeanne, not-so-subtly changing the subject. “This mess is really getting out of control. Lotte,” she turned to the bespectacled witch. “Run into the school and find Professor Lukić, will ya? If a potion is what started this, then she’s the best person for the job.”

“Er, yes, ma’am,” said Lotte, looking uncertain, but nonetheless pivoted and ran back to the building.

“Shiki, think you can use your magic to check if there are people still inside?” Jeanne asked her best friend.

“Look at you acting responsible – you must really want to impress the freshmen,” Shiki teased; Jeanne bit her lip, her face turning as red as her hair. The Japanese witch grinned as she whipped out her Grimoire (a white book with four crystal stars). “ ** _Ghost Magic: Permeation._** ”

Shiki’s Grimoire glowed as the incantation was cast, but Akko didn’t see any visible changes at first. Then, the third-year witch walked up to the wall of mushrooms and – Akko let out a startled cry when she saw – walked _through_ them, the older Japanese waving before vanishing inside. Suddenly, all those weird moments where Shiki seemed to vanish into thin air made sense to Akko.

“Holy carp, that’s so cool!” Akko shouted, awestruck. “The way she just walked through those mushrooms like…like a _Yōkai!_ That’s Ghost Magic, right?! Like, magic that can make you do things a real ghost can?! _Sugoi!_ And your magic” – she turned to Jeanne, starry-eyed – “You called it Armament Magic, right?! That’s the magic that lets you create weapons and armor and stuff?! Shiny Chariot used magic like that in one of her shows before! It was soooo cool!”

“Well, nice to see that someone’s keeping a positive attitude in the middle of a crisis,” said Jeanne. She and Akko stepped back a few feet as the mushrooms expanded again. “Don’t worry, this isn’t the worse thing that’s happened in Luna Nova. Once Professor Lukić gets here – “

“Jeanne, there’s a problem,” Shiki called, her head popping out of the mushroom caps. “I found Sucy. She’s trapped near the back of the garden, pressed in from all side by mushrooms.”

“Is she all right?” asked Akko worriedly.

“She’s fine so far,” Shiki reported. “She can breathe, but she can’t move.”

“Can’t you pull her out?” said Akko before Jeanne could get a word in. “Use your ghost magic!”

“The effects of my permeation spell only extend to myself,” said Shiki, frowning. “It’ll just slip through anyone else.”

“Then – then use your Armament Magic to cut them down!” Akko shouted, turning to Jeanne hopefully.

“Even if I had enough magic to summon _that many_ magic weapons,” said Jeanne evenly, “the mushrooms would just keep growing back faster than I could cut them down.”

“Then…then I’ll just get rid of them myself!” Akko declared firmly. She retrieved the Seven-Star Grimoire from her bag, conjuring the Shiny Rod from its page with a determined glared. “Stand back! _**Light Magic** – _“

But Jeanne and Shiki quickly surged forward, yelling “Whoa, whoa, hold it!” and “You can’t do that!” They grappled their junior by the arms and dragged her away from the botanical garden as Akko struggled to fight them off. They dropped her on her butt on the edge of the playing field, but not before Jeanne pried the Shiny Rod from Akko’s hands.

“Hey! What’s the big idea?!” Akko shouted indignantly.

“If you just start shooting magic at random, you could end up hurting Sucy!” Shiki warned.

“But – “

“Akko, it’s good that you want to help,” said Jeanne in a serious tone, “but stuff like this is better left to the teachers. The best thing we can do is keep the situation contained until Professor Lukić gets here.”

Akko bit her lower lip anxiously. She hated it; she hated the idea of having to wait for someone else to fix everything for them when they were right there. Akko believed that if you had magic, you could solve any problem. Shiny Chariot could’ve solved this with just a snap of her fingers! (That, of course, was a complete exaggeration that only Akko thought was true.) She had been chosen by Shiny Chariot’s Seven-Star Grimoire, hadn’t she?! That had to count for something!

And besides…Akko couldn’t get the image out of her head: Sucy, all alone with no one to help her…no one who wanted to be around her….

“ _The Manbavaran’s are freaks and monsters – the whole lot of them. Why would anyone want to be friends with them?_ ”

Akko clenched her fist, gritting her teeth as she suddenly shot to her feet. Before her seniors had a chance to stop her, Akko charged headlong at the mushroom swarm.

“Akko, what’re – dammit!” Jeanne cursed, stumbling after her.

“Get back here! It’s not safe!” Shiki screamed.

But the Japanese witch ignored them as she jumped headlong into the cluster like a diver, slipped her thin body through the gaps, and disappeared into the mushroom forest.

Wading through the fungi was like swimming through a pool of gelatin (something Akko actually had experience with after a prank gone wrong when she was fourteen.) The mushrooms were pressing in on her from all side, smashing their spongy red caps into her face and chest, making it difficult to breath. But Akko kept clawing forward. At one point, her boot ended up getting caught between two stalks, so she discarded it without a second thought, putting all her focus into finding Sucy.

Akko didn’t know how long she had been digging around, but she somehow managed to find her way to the top of the mushroom cluster, popping her head out with a huge gasp for air. She realized that her ponytail was only inches from the botanical garden’s glass ceiling. The mushrooms had almost completely consumed the place; she could barely see the tips of the Jennifer Memorial Tree’s withered branches through all the melted caps.

“Sucy!” Akko cried. “Sucy, where are you?! Answer me!”

“…be so loud…,” she heard a muffled groan below.

“Sucy!” Akko gasped. “Hold on, Sucy, I’m coming!”

Taking a large (unnecessary) breath, Akko plunged back under, kicking her feet with all her strength.

After practically tearing a path through the fungi, Akko pulled her head into a small pocket in the mushroom cluster. Her eyes rolled around in her head until they locked on with Sucy’s single half-lidded one. The sickly witch was buried up to her neck in melted red caps, bearing an eerie resemblance to a severed head, but she seemed oddly unperturbed despite the circumstances. She only seemed annoyed when she locked gazes with Akko.

“Ugh, what’re you doing here?” Sucy groaned.

“What does it look like?! I’m saving you!” said Akko. With a little bit of wiggling, she managed to get her arm loose and extended it to Sucy. “Quick, grab my hand! I’ll try to pull us to safety!”

“Not interested,” said Sucy bluntly.

“Wha – are you for real?!” Akko retorted dumbfoundedly. “Take my hand before you get crushed by these stupid mushrooms!”

“We Manbavaran are notoriously thin,” said Sucy calmly.

“Why are you so stubborn?!” Akko snapped. “Can’t you see I’m trying to help you here?!”

“And why are you doing that, huh?” Sucy questioned angrily, showing the first sign of real emotion. “Trying to make yourself look good? Want everyone to think you’re some kind of hero, saving the poor Manbavaran freak from her own mad experiment? Sorry, but I’m not interested in being your damsel in distress.”

“I’m not trying to save you because I want something from you!” Akko gnashed her teeth.

“Then why?” hissed Sucy.

“BECAUSE I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL!” Akko snapped. Sucy went mute, blinking absently. The Japanese witch sighed, calming herself before speaking again. “I know…exactly how you feel right now. Everyone talking about you, making fun of you, not giving you the time of day, treating you like an outsider. I don’t know if you heard…but I’m a commoner. I don’t come from a magic family like everyone else.”

“A commoner?” Sucy repeated surprisingly. “A commoner…with a Grimoire? Is that even possible?”

“Believe me, it’s possible,” said Akko, grinning. “I know how it feels when no one looks past stupid labels. Everyone just takes one look at you and assume they know everything about you. They don’t even give people like us a chance. Even the teachers expect me to fail. Sometimes it feels like no one’s on your side. You feel that way, too, don’t you? Because you’re a Manbavaran? Whenever someone hears your name, they just write you off…. It’s lonely, isn’t it?”

Sucy eye slowly looked down and turned her head away, but Akko could see the barest hints of sadness in her gaze.

“But not everyone is like that,” Akko continued confidently. “Diana, she comes from a super famous witch family, she never cared if I was a commoner or not. She was always my friend first, and then she became my girlfriend. Lotte, she’s nice and generous to everyone because she knows what it’s like to be picked on. Professor Ursula, she’s been nothing but kind since the moment I met her. And everyone in Crimson Ankaa doesn’t care who you are or where you come from, because once you join, your family. And I feel the same way, Sucy.”

Akko grimaced as she tried to stretch her arm further, ignoring the pain building in her shoulder. All that mattered was trying to reach Sucy. The sickly witch only stared up at her, mouth open slightly.

“I know…we’re not exactly…the same…,” Akko grunted with effort, “and you probably…have a lot more… going on…than I know about…. But I promise…no matter what happens…even if you don’t want me to…I will…never let you…be alone….”

Sucy’s mind suddenly reeled back to the top of the Crimson Ankaa fortress days ago, remembering Professor Ursula’s words when she tried to walk away:

“ _You don’t have to be alone, you know?_ ”

Sucy felt something tightening in her chest; a feeling she had never experienced before…but it wasn’t unpleasant.

As Akko continued to stretch herself to the point of nearly popping her shoulder, Sucy, surprising even herself, wiggled one of her arms loose and reached. Giving one last push, Akko successfully wrapped her hand around Sucy’s. Her fingers were cold and clammy, but Akko wasn’t about to say anything.

“All right, let’s get you outta – bwah!” Akko squeaked.

Without warning, Akko and Sucy suddenly fell flat on their faces on the very hard dirt.

The Japanese witch pried herself off the ground, her red-faced running gag going strong, and looked around wildly. The botanical garden was inexplicably back to normal; not a single sign of mushrooms other than the small patch that Sucy had planted. Akko’s looked flabbergasted until she heard a high-pitched cackled coming from the entrance.

She and Sucy spun around as Jeanne, Shiki, and Lotte walked into the garden, escorted not only by Professor Lukić, who was carrying a bottle of smoking purple potion, but also Professor Holbrooke. Akko gulped loudly. Getting in trouble with the headmistress was not Akko's ideal way of starting her first day.

“Shishishishi!” Professor Lukić cackled. “Nothing like a good old diminishing potion to set things in order. While a little temperamental, that was very impressive growth potion. Who made it? Maybe we can work on refining the formula.”

“Another time, Professor Lukić,” said Professor Holbrooke evenly. The wizened witch walked over to Akko and Sucy, her staff clanking on the ground every step. She peered at the girls through her glasses, making Akko stiffen. “I hope you girls have an explanation for this.”

Sucy looked downcast and started to say, “I – “

“It was my fault, professor!” Akko shouted, throwing her arm up. Sucy and Professor Holbrooke looked at her surprisingly, the former more than the latter. “I take full responsibility for everything!”

“Care to elaborate on that, Miss Kagari?” said Professor Holbrooke, looking unconvinced.

“I was having a really bad first day,” said Akko, pouting. “None of the classes were what I was expecting them to be. I thought they would be flashy and cool, but they were all boring – er, not that I think you’re boring, professor!” she sputtered frantically.

“Oh, don’t worry, Miss Kagari,” said Professor Holbrooke, chuckling amusingly. “I think they’re pretty boring, too.”

“Er, right,” Akko giggled sheepishly. “I was so bored, I really wanted to do something special for my first day. So I went to the library and found this growth potion that I thought would be really neat to try. I came to the garden to test it out and Sucy was already in here,” she gestured to the sickly witch, making her jump slightly. “I wanted to test it out on some of her mushrooms that she was growing. Sucy kept warning me that something was wrong with the potion, but I didn’t listen and poured it on her mushrooms anyway. I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused,” Akko concluded with a deep bow.

“I see,” Professor Holbrooke hummed, readjusting her glasses and turning her eyes to Sucy. “Is this true, Miss Manbavaran?”

“I – “

“No, it’s not,” Jeanne spoke up as she and Shiki stepped forward. “We’re responsible for this, too.”

“You are?” Professor Holbrooke, Akko, and Sucy said simultaneously with varying tones of confusion.

“You really think someone as dim as Akko could make a growth potion by herself?” said Jeanne smugly.

“ _HEY!_ ” Akko yelled indignantly.

“We were in the library when Akko found the recipe for the potion,” Shiki explained. “Jeanne and I – we wanted to impress our newest freshmen, so we showed her how to make it, then we suggested testing it out in the garden. But when things got out of control, we told Lotte go run for help while we tried to fix things ourselves.”

“It’s our fault either of them ended up in this situation,” said Jeanne firmly; Shiki nodded alongside her. “We accept whatever punishment you think is appropriate.”

Professor Holbrooke made a long humming noise as she looked between the Crimson Ankaa girls. Akko could feel herself sweating. Would she buy the story? It did seem a little flimsy, even to Akko, not to mention the various plot holes.

“Well, I’m happy you girls owned up to your mistakes,” said Professor Holbrooke; Akko let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “And you made the right decision in the end, asking a teacher for help. But the fact remains that you broke the rules about using magic on school ground as well as caused significant damage to the garden. As punishment, you three will be spending the next two weeks fixing the place up – without magic – and will do any work the gardening goblins have for you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, professor!” Akko, Jeanne, and Shiki responded in chorus.

“Good, now run along,” said Professor Holbrooke. “Evening classes are about to start.”

The Crimson Ankaa girls hurried out the garden and didn’t speak at all until they were back in the main building, just as the bell rang, signaling the end of free period.

“Aw man, I can’t believe we have to spend two weeks gardening now,” Akko groaned.

“I told you we should’ve left things to the teachers,” Jeanne sighed exasperatedly. “But you just _had_ to play the hero.”

“Well, I wasn’t going to stand by and do nothing while someone was in trouble!” Akko countered, sticking her chin up proudly. “Shiny Chariot would never do it, and neither will I!”

They were walking up the stairs to the second floor when Akko felt a light tap on her shoulder. She paused and turned around, then everyone else did the same. Sucy frowned, unwelcoming of all the attention she was getting. There was a very embarrassing pause. Then, without meeting Akko’s eye, she said, “Thanks,” and hurried off up the stairs. Akko blinked momentarily, then a small smile crossed her lips.

She and Sucy might not be best friends now, but it was a good start.


	7. Don't Stop Me Now

The Magic Empress forgot how hot the Boiling Isles could be as they quickly approached the summer season, something she really should have clued into from the name.

The islands were built off the coast of the Dominican Republic on the remains of an ancient titan that was slain by the combined forces of the Nine Olde Witches and their first apprentice, Jennifer, centuries ago. As disgusting as building an artificial landmass on top of a corpse was, the Boiling Isles had the highest concentration of magical energy anywhere in the world, making it the ideal place to establish one of the Four Magica Academia: Hexside School of Magic and Demonics.

The Magic Empress hummed to herself whimsically as she treaded down the hallways with her dutiful assistant, Amelie, trailing behind an elf-eared girl who had obviously dyed her hair green based on the exposed brown roots. The girl had been picked by the principle to give them the grand tour of the school, naming her as the top student, and was being given a _very_ thorough overview of the school and its status. The little witch had clearly been practicing for a while, but the Magic Empress couldn’t be bothered to pay attention; she was too busy watching a triclops girl shooting fireballs at a pack of screaming cheerleaders outside. Oh well, she thought, Amelie would take care of all the boring details – that’s why she hired her in the first place.

Before she realized it, they were back outside the front steps of Hexside.

“Thank you for that engaging tour of Hexside, Miss Blight,” said Amelie graciously while shooting daggers at her boss out of the corner of her eyes; the Magic Empress looked away, whistling innocently. “It looks like things are well-maintained around here.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” said the elf girl. “Hexside prides itself on holding the highest standard of magical learning.”

“Highest standard, huh?” The Magic Empress muttered, watching a group of students being chased by a basilisk across the courtyard. The elf girl grimaced. “Well, I guess as long as none students are getting eaten, I suppose it’s fine.”

“Ha, you’re so funny, your majesty!” The elf girl barked, laughing awkwardly and hoping they didn’t notice the carnivorous plant swallowing a student whole behind them.

“I was going over the school transcripts before we arrived,” said Amelie, pushing up her glasses in what the Magic Empress called ‘Office Mode.’ “A transfer student was recently admitted into Hexside. A commoner who can perform magic with a Grimoire she apparently made herself.”

“Whoa, seriously?!” The Magic Empress shouted surprisingly. “A handmade Grimoire? By a commoner? Why am I just finding out about this now?”

“You would know if you read the pamphlet I gave you,” Amelie retorted irritably.

“Yeah, she’s a student at Hexside,” said the elf girl, whose cheeks were suddenly brushed with pink. “Her name is Luz. She doesn’t have a Grimoire…per se. It’s really just a notebook she writes in. I don’t know how, but she somehow found a way to use an ancient form of magic from before witches started using Grimoires. So she’s not a witch in the traditional sense, but she’s a really good student – okay, that’s a lie – but she’s always eager to learn about magic and increase her own knowledge.”

“This Luz character sounds like someone I’d like to meet,” said the Magic Empress eagerly. “Where can we find her?”

The timing couldn’t have been any more comedically perfect (or imperfect in the elf girl’s opinion.) Not even a second after the empress asked, the walls of the Hexside school exploded and some manner of monstrosity lurched its way into the courtyard, students running and screaming in every direction. The monster must have been at least fifteen feet tall and was an amalgamation of a chicken, a rhino, a cheetah, a crocodile, and puppy for some reason, and it was completely covered in purple goop. And clutched in its scaly/oozy/feathery fingers was a young Dominican girl hanging upside down by her leg, clutching a raggedy notebook for dear life.

The tanned girl immediately honed in on the elf girl and screamed, “Amity, something went wrong! VERY, VERY WRONG!” before the amalgamated abomination stuck her in one of its many mouths, sucking on the girl like a pacifier.

“Uh…,” the girl named Amity said dimly, shifting from the monster’s captive to the Magic Empress and her assistant. “Whelp! That’s the end of our tour! Guess you’ll be going now! Bye!”

“Uh…shouldn’t we help her?” said the Magic Empress slowly as Amity pushed them with a surprising level of strength for someone her size.

“No, don’t worry about it, this happens all the time,” said Amity, laughing anxiously. “You’re obviously pretty busy, so don’t worry about minor stuff like this. We’ve got this totally handled.”

But the moment they were out the gates, Amity quickly turned heel and screamed. “LUZ, WHAT IN THE NAME OF GROM DID YOU DO?!”

“Never a dull moment at Hexside,” said the Magic Empress lackadaisically; Amelie stared at her with an unimpressed look. “So where to next? Luna Nova?”

“Mystacor Institute of Sorcery,” said Amelia dryly. The Magic Empress moaned. “Stop acting like a child and move your lazy behind. It’s a long trip to South Africa from here.”

The Magic Empress moaned again, but nonetheless begrudgingly followed her assistant down the road. She only hoped it wouldn’t be too long before they made their way to Luna Nova and the mysterious Kagari girl who had been chosen by the Seven-Star Grimoire.

‘ _I wonder what she’s doing with it right now,_ ’ thought the Magic Empress. “ _Probably something cool and amazing…._ ’

* * *

Akko was so cool and amazing…. And if she kept telling herself that, maybe it’ll be true someday.

As it stands, the commoner witch was inside her room at the Crimson Ankaa base. It wasn’t that much bigger than her old room back in Japan, but she was grateful to have a space to herself. She had decided that morning that she should finish unpacking all her personal belongings, which she realizes she should have done the day she arrived. Her favorite Shiny Chariot poster was tacked on the wall, her Alcor doll was perched on the bedside table, and her entire collection of Shiny Chariot trading cards were tucked away neatly in her desk drawer. Now just left the…ugh, books….

Akko honestly had no idea how they got there, but before she realized it, there was a small mountain of hardcovers taking up a quarter of her room. Akko certainly didn’t bring any books from home. She had a sneaking suspicion that her guildmates were just using her room for storage, judging by titles like “ _An Advanced Guide to Poisonous Fungai,”_ “ _School Spirits and You,”_ and a huge stack of _“Sorcerer Weekly”_ magazines. Oh well, Akko thought, she’s got a bookshelf in her room. What’s the harm in filling it up?

But instead of just doing it the normal way, Akko wanted to do it the magical way. She had only been in school for three days so far, so it was a bit unrealistic to expect any new spells to suddenly pop up in her Grimoire, but Akko wished she could get at least _one_ new page. As it stands, she still only has the Shiny Arc. So Akko, in all of her perky Akko-ness, decided she would try to force the magic out.

“Fly to the bookshelf!” Akko shouted at the books, swinging the Shiny Rod around. Obviously, nothing happened. “I command you to fly!” The books taunt her with their motionlessness. “Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor!” And spouting gibberish nonsense didn’t work either. “Guess it’s no good after all….”

“Keep going; it was really cute.”

Akko squeaked like a frightened mouse, spinning on her heels and hiding the Shiny Rod behind her hand like she had been caught with something illegal. Zizi and Verde giggled; the latter was carrying a broomstick over her shoulder.

“Zizi-senpai? Verde-senpai?” said Akko. “What’re you doing here? Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”

“The door was wide open,” Zizi replied humorously.

“Professor Ursula wanted us to drop this off,” said Verde, tossing the broomstick over to Akko.

The Japanese witch fumbled with the handle before grasping it with both hands.

“A broom?” said Akko cluelessly.

“You’re having your first flying lesson today, aren’t you?” said Zizi, grinning. “Professor Ursula thought you wouldn’t bring your own broom, so she got the school to commission you one. Keep in mind, it’s only a school standard broom, so it’s not that great.”

“And you can’t customize it either,” said Verde, pouting. “Which really sucks. We’ll have to get you your own broom sometime. But all the good brooms cost over eighty pounds….”

But Akko stopped listening to them a long time ago. The newly claimed witch was nuzzling the brush the school-issued broomstick like an affectionate pet. She didn’t care that it was cheap, uninspiring, and completely lacking any creative detail. The fact was that it was _her_ broom and that’s all that mattered.

“ _Sugoi!_ Now I can learn to fly!” Akko cheered. “A Believing Heart is my magic! My time has come! Yay!”

“Aren’t you the only student who couldn’t get your broom off the ground during the entrance exam?” Zizi asked teasingly.

“How did you know about that?!” Akko yelped.

“Professor Ursula told us,” Verde answered simply.

“Isn’t there such a thing as student confidentiality?” Akko grumbled.

“Relax, I’m sure you just had a case of the nerves,” said Verde soothingly. “Once class starts, you’ll be up in the air in no time.”

“Yeah, you’re right!” Akko shouted optimistically, pumping her fist. “My first flight magic lesson is about to start! I’ll get to learn how to ride a broom at long last!” She ripped off her right shoe and stretched her foot up to the upperclassmen’s faces, much to their disgust. “Lookie, how do you think I got this scar?”

“Do I have to answer that?” Zizi grimaced.

“I fell out of a tree trying to fly when I was little,” Akko stated proudly. She pointed to another scar on her exposed thigh. “This one is from is from when I rolled all the way down a hill.” She pointed to her elbow next. “And I got this one falling off a roof – “

“How’re you not dead?” Verde asked shockingly.

“Flying magic isn’t as simple as hopping on a broom and hoping for the best,” said Zizi. “It may be the simplest spell there is, but it takes a lot of magical energy and control to just get off the ground. Up until you got your Grimoire, there wasn’t any guarantee that you could use magic period.”

“You can’t blame little me for not knowing,” said Akko, pouting. “I just believed I could fly and practiced my heart out! And now I can fly for real! My childhood dream is coming true!” She cried, spinning around with stars in her eyes.

“Isn’t she just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen,” Zizi whispered to Verde, giggling.

“Makes me want to hug her and never let go,” Verde chuckled.

* * *

Magic Flight class took place on the playing field where the freshmen had conducted their entrance exams. Akko sat cross-legged on the grass, practically buzzing with excitement, sitting between Lotte and Sucy; the latter had warmed up to the Japanese witch, even if she refused to call them friends. Diana was sitting near the front like the dutiful student she was, once again flanked by her unofficial posse, Hannah and Barbara.

As the final bell rang for classes to start, the teacher with the aviator hat – Professor Nelson, if Akko remembered right – marched in front of the students with a broom over her shoulder.

“All right, class, heads up!” Professor Nelson shouted, capturing everyone’s attention. “I’ll be instructing the class on flight magic. Now for most of you, the entrance exams were the first attempt at flight magic, and judging by what I saw, you need a lot of help.” Some students grumbled under their breath, but kept their opinions to themselves. “Since this is your first class, we will be learning the importance of broom safety and then we will practice hovering.

“Everybody on your feet! Chop-chop!” She clapped her hands insistently. She waited until everyone was standing with their brooms. “Flight magic is the most basic essentials in a witch’s repertoire. But take it lightly and you’ll end up injuring yourself, so be careful.”

“ _Hai!_ ” Akko yelled in affirmation along with a few others.

“First, firmly grip your brooms,” Professor Nelson instructed, holding the broom parallel to herself. There was a flurry of movement as the students mimicked her. “Then, pay respects to the broom and straddle your broom.” She bowed her head politely before hopping on; the students followed her example. “Imagine yourself taking to the sky, channeling your magic into the broom, and kick off the ground!”

Professor Nelson lifted her legs and clamped them on the sides of the broom, but remained hovering several feet in the air. Eager to start flying, the student body tried imitating her. More than half of them jumped off the ground, only to fall on their faces on the first try, and even the second try. But by the third attempt, almost everyone had gotten their feet off the grass. Most remained absolutely still, fearing the broomstick would suddenly buck them off. There were only a handful of students who not only got it right on the first try, but some of them floated a little higher than the rest. No one was truly surprised that Diana was among these gifted few.

And Akko…

“ _OH, COME ON!_ ” Akko complained loudly, hopping up and down like a jackrabbit on a sugar high. “ _FLY ALREADY! PLEASE! JUST THIS ONCE!”_

“Focus more!” Professor Nelson demanded. “Funnel your magic into the broom!”

“ _I’M TRYING!”_ Akko cried, hopping faster. “ _FLY! SOAR! HOVER! FLOAT! DO SOMETHING,_ _YOU STUPID BROOM!”_

“You’d have no problem winning a shouting match,” Sucy commented dryly.

“I thought the entrance exams were just a fluke,” said Professor Nelson dumbfoundedly. “Professor Ursula told me you had a lot of magical potential, but only a minimal grasp on how to control it. But I didn’t think that you had absolutely _zero_ control over your own magic. I’ve never seen anyone with your lack of skill before. It’s honestly remarkable….”

“You’re not making me feel better about it!” Akko whined.

“YAHOO!”

Everyone’s heads shot to the sky. One of the students had broken away from the pack and was shooting through the air like a rocket, standing atop their broom as if it were a surfboard. Akko recognized the girl. It was the American from the first test in the entrance exam; the only freshman that stood equal to Diana. It was difficult to see with the redhead flying around with reckless abandon, but Akko could barely make out the cloak she was wearing: it was a mossy-green with a golden sigil in the outline of a tree. Okay, so she wasn’t in Crimson Ankaa or Royal Regulus….

The American girl swept through the crowd of students with a loud whoop, blowing nearly half the girls off their brooms as she passed by. Diana nonchalantly floated out of the American’s path, exchanging glances as they crossed before the redhead curved into the air. She started performing a complicated series of acrobatic stunts worthy of Cirque du Soleil when Professor Nelson called out:

“Amanda! No acrobatics during class! This is contemporary learning for beginners! Get that through your thick skull already!”

“Wow, way to kill my fun,” said Amanda nonchalantly, laying casually on her broomstick. Akko had to admire her sense of balance on such a narrow space.

“Hey! No sleeping on your broom!” Professor Nelson screamed.

While the professor was screaming her lungs out at Amanda, Akko noticed another pair of students separated from the rest of the pack out of the corner of her eye. Both of them were wearing green cloaks like Amanda and Akko instantly recognized both of them from the exams as well. The plump girl eating potato chips while riding sidesaddle on her broom had been the one to obliterate her target dummy during the magical power exams. The midget in goggles had been the first student to get multiple guild offers. Constanze…something or other.

Of course, her musing only lasted so long until she heard a familiar pair of sneers overhead.

“Well, if it isn’t Akko!” Barbara taunted. “You’re still unable to ride a broom?”

“Maybe she needs some incentive,” said Hannah wickedly, pulling out her Grimoire (A dark-red tome with five black stars.) “ _ **Magma Magic: Thermal Field!**_ ”

Akko tilted her head, confused when nothing happened right away. Then she caught a whiff of something…odd. It smelled like burnt leather. She took several sniffs of their air and followed the smell down to her feet…discovering that she was now standing on a small puddle of molten rock.

“ _HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT!_ ” Akko screamed frantically.

Hannah and Barbara cackled as Akko dropped her broom and started running around like a chicken with its head cut off, her boots set aflame. After a few seconds of panicking, Akko gained the sense to kick her boots off and throw them away; Professor Nelson groaned and went to deal with the potential fire hazard.

Her bullies were still laughing their heads off when Diana finally noticed what happened, having been taking a quick lap around the field for practice. The blonde witch scowled and was set to confront them when a suddenly blur flew by her, nearly unseating Diana from her broom. The next thing they knew, Hannah and Barbara were catapulted off their brooms, plopping face down into the grass. They raised their heads – Hannah spitting out a clump of dirt – and flipped around on their backs. Amanda floated lazily in the air where they had been previously, shooting them a smug look.

“Oh, I’m _soooo_ sorry,” said Amanda, sounding not at all sincere. “I lost control of my broom for a moment. You know how temperamental these things can be.”

“You did that on purpose!” Barbara accused.

“Prove it,” Amanda challenged with a sly grin.

“Grr…dirty little…,” Barbara growled, whipping out her Grimoire (A sapphire-blue book with five crystal stars). “Let’s show her Hannah…. Hannah?”

But when she looked at her best friend, Barbara’s brow quirked up strangely. Hannah was looking down at her boots, biting her bottom lip and clutching the hem of her tunic while her face was colored an interesting shade of pink. Barbara was scratching her head. What’s up with her?

When the bullies didn’t retaliate, Amanda ignored them and floated over to Akko as the Japanese witched went to recover her broom. Unfortunately, in her haste to escape a serious case of hot foot, she dropped her broom in the magma pool, turning it to a gangly chunk of coal that crumbled when she picked it up.

“That’s coming out of my tuition,” Akko grumbled.

“Hey, you okay?” Amanda asked floating on her side. “Not gonna lie: that was pretty funny watching you run around like that. But there’s a difference between a funny prank and being a bully. And I hate bullies.”

“Eh, I’m used to it by now,” said Akko, shrugging. She offered her hand and added, “Thanks for sticking up for me. I’m – “

“Atsuko Kagari, right?” said Amanda eagerly. “Yeah, I know you. Everyone in Luna Nova knows you. The commoner that turned down the chance to join Royal Regulus. The whole school pretty much lost their minds when they heard that. Personally, I loved the way you put down that prissy brat, Carmen, during the entrance exams. That was seriously badass. Watching you smack that smug grin off that bitch’s face – priceless. I wish I had taken a picture of it to hang on my wall.”

“Yeah, it was pretty badass, wasn’t it?” Akko giggled. “Oh, and you can just call me Akko. All my friends do.”

“The name’s Amanda,” Amanda introduced herself. She jumped up to stand on her broom, tapping the emblem on her chest. “First year, Jade Mimosa. And those are my best buddies, Jasminka Antonenko and Constanze Amalie von Braunschbank-Albrechtsberger.”

She gestured to the two girls hanging around off on the side of the field doing their own thing. Jasminka stopped eating for a moment and waved pleasantly when Amanda pointed them out, but Constanze was more preoccupied fiddling with the metal box in her lap.

“That’s a mouthful,” said Akko, referring to Constanze’s name.

“Which is ironic since she’s never says a word,” said Amanda jokingly. The redheaded witch then took off into the air, performing another round of acrobatics while still within speaking distance of Akko.

“Wow, you’re pretty good at flying,” Akko complimented in awe.

“I’m not good – I’m the best,” Amanda boasted, standing on her tiptoes at the end of her broom. “I’ve been flying ever since I was in diapers. But that’s just about what you’d expect from a family like mine.”

“Is your family famous?” asked Akko curiously, following the redhead as she looped around.

“You could say that,” Amanda teased.

“I wish I could fly,” Akko pouted

“You’ll figure it out,” said Amanda, hovering lazily overhead. “Just wish I didn’t have to take these stupid remedial lessons. I’m already better than Professor Aviators over there,” she gestured to Professor Nelson, who had stomped out Akko’s boot fire. “Ugh, it’s so boring. I could be practicing Sabball right now.”

“What’s Sabball?” Akko asked curiously.

“You don’t know what Sabball is?!” Amanda actually gasped, nearly falling off her broom in shock. She looked at Akko like she had just committed some cardinal sin. “Sabball is the greatest game in the world! Then again, it’s the only sport that lets you use magic, so I’m kinda biased.”

“Is it that great?” Akko asked, her anticipation rising.

“The greatest!” Amanda answered, throwing out her arms enthusiastically. “It the only sport you can play on brooms and you can shoot magic at people without getting in trouble for it. And uh, not to brag, but I’ve been to over three hundred Sabball games in my life.” She added, clearly bragging.

“You really love the game, huh?” said Akko.

“I plan on trying out for the school team when the season starts,” said Amanda. “Just you wait; they’ll be making me team captain in the first week.”

“ _Sugoi_ ,” said Akko. “Hey, can you teach me how to play Sabball?”

To her surprise, Amanda started cackling, and said, “No offense, Akko, but you kinda need to know how to fly a broom to play Sabball. And you’re, well….” She gestured to the smoldering pile on the grass.

“I could learn to fly a broom!” Akko snapped indignantly. “In fact, I _will_ ride a broom by the end of the day!”

“Will ya now?” said Amanda, grinning mischievously. “All right, how’s ‘bout we make this interesting. Instead of teaching you Sabball, we _play_ a game. There’s no substitute for experience, or something those fancy-pants smart guys always say.”

“You’re on!” Akko challenged. “After school at three-thirty!”

“Deal,” said Amanda, looking like she had already won. “And just to keep things fair, we’ll each bring players from our own guilds. No outside help. And that includes your girlfriend, Princess Cavendish.”

“How did you know she’s my girlfriend?” Akko gasped.

“Seriously?” said Amanda, giving her a dry look. “Who _doesn’t_ know? You guys aren’t exactly discreet with the handholding, the hugging, and making out in the middle of the hallways.”

“Jealous?” Akko asked smugly; Amanda’s right brow twitched.

“Just make sure to bring your A-game,” said Amanda evenly as she floated away. “Because I’m not going easy on you.”

“Oh yeah!” Akko shouted back. “Well, we’re totally gonna kick your butt in Sabball!”

* * *

“Please enlighten me how you ended up challenging _Amanda O’Neill_ to a game of Sabball?” Diana asked her girlfriend with a blank stare.

Akko, Diana, Lotte, and Sucy were among several people who had moved to the courtyard during lunch hour to escape the chaos of the cafeteria. Although Akko and Diana’s relationship was apparently common knowledge, there were still people looking at them in open disbelief; the idea of a commoner and an aristocrat being together was something you only saw in fairy tales. But Diana, prim and poised as always, pointedly ignored them and stared down the Japanese witch who was trying to cram a whole hamburger in her mouth.

“She laughed at me,” Akko grumbled through stuffed cheeks. “She said I couldn’t play because I can’t ride a broom.”

“You can’t ride a broom,” said Sucy bluntly. “You spent the entire class hopping up and down like a loon.”

"Heh, that rhymed," Lotte giggled.

“I just need practice, okay!” Akko snapped.

“But are you sure it’s a good idea to challenge Amanda to a Sabball match?” asked Lotte concerned. “Do you even know how to play Sabball?”

“Not a clue!” Akko admitted; a chorus of facepalms rang.

“You’re a dumbass,” said Sucy. “Honest, but a dumbass.”

“Well, if you guys know what it is, then tell me!” Akko demanded, pouting.

Diana heaved an exasperated sighed. She pulled out her Grimoire, letting it fly open to a random page near the back, and the book projected a transparent screen overhead. The outline of the school field appeared on the screen along with ten stick figures – five on each side.

“Sabball is a simple game to understand,” Diana explained. “You could compare it to a game of football on broomstick. Each team has five players on the field at any time and the goal is to get the ball through the goal on either side of the field. A single goal will earn you ten points and the team with the most points by the end of the time limit wins.”

“Sounds easy enough,” said Akko, nodding along.

“But Sabball has a bunch of special rules that can change the game,” Lotte added. “For starters, magic rings pop up on the field at random and flying the ball through one will increase the ball’s total by ten points when you put it in the goal. The ball can hold up to a maximum of fifty points, but it resets when someone scores.”

“And the players are allowed to use their Grimoire during the game,” said Sucy. “There are a bunch of rules that’ll penalize you if you attack the players directly, but you can use magic to intercept or block them off. There are a lot of people – especially in the pro leagues – that know how to bend the rules so they can take out other players without getting punished for it. I remember this one time a witch from the New Zealand team broke another’s player’s leg, but she only got off with a warning since there was no proof she did it on purpose.”

“Thankfully, Luna Nova games rarely involve injuries,” said Diana. “Though I doubt it would matter if you intend to challenge Amanda O’Neill. You’re fighting an uphill battle, Akko.”

“Why? Is she good?” asked Akko curiously.

“The O’Neill are famous for being the best fliers in the entire world,” Lotte proclaimed. “Some of the greatest fliers in history are from the O’Neill Line, like Amelia O’Neill-Earhart, the first witch to fly solo across the Atlantic on a broomstick. And on top of that, Amanda’s mother is Aria O’Neill, the six-time Sabball World Champion, so you know Amanda is going to be just as good."

“Aria O’Neill,” Akko hummed thoughtfully. “I feel like I’ve heard that name before….”

“Probably because she was the commentator for the International Magic Tournament ten years ago,” Diana offered.

“Oh yeah, now I remember!” said Akko, snapping her fingers in an “A-ha!” moment.

“The point is,” Diana interjected, “if you’re going to play against Amanda, you’re going to be facing someone not only with raw natural talent, but a lifetime of experience to back it up. It might be a better idea to drop out – “

“Not happening!” Akko denied immediately, jumping to her feet with her fist raised. “I’m not gonna run away like a coward! Besides, Amanda’s just one person and the teams are made up of five people, right? So as long and me, Lotte, and Sucy work together, we’ll be a-ok!”

“How did we get roped into this?” Lotte whispered to Sucy.

“There’s no point in fighting it,” Sucy grumbled back. “She’ll just annoy us until she gets what she wants.”

“Well, since your so determined, who am I to stand in your way,” said Diana with a small smile. “But who are you going to ask to fill the remaining two spots on your team? Obviously, I can’t join because Amanda was very specific about the teams only being in their respective guilds.”

Akko took a moment to pause, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. That was a good question. She didn’t know that she would be needing five players until now. Her preference would have been toward Jeanne or Lin-Lin since they are the most athletic members of Crimson Ankaa. But she knew that Jeanne attended student council meetings after school and Lin-Lin was always disappearing off to somewhere once classes were over. So who could….

As Akko’s eye wandered around the courtyard, she spotted two Crimson Ankaa cloaks in the surrounding hallways. It was Zizi and Verde, most likely coming from the cafeteria and heading for their next classes. Not exactly pro athletes, but Akko didn’t have the time to wander around Luna Nova looking for anyone else.

“Zizi-senpai! Verde-senpai!” Akko shouted at the top of her lungs, dashing across the courtyard. Thankfully, Zizi and Verde stopped and turned around as Akko approached the barrier between them. “Zizi-senpai! Verde-senpai! Do you know how to play Scabball?”

“Hell yeah, I do,” said Zizi, grinning. “I always loved playing the local leagues when Scabball season started. The team I was on came in third place before I came to Luna Nova.”

“I know how to play, but I’m not very good at it,” Verde admitted sheepishly. “I always got kicked out of the game because the ball kept getting lost in my curls.”

“ _How deep are those curls_?” Akko mentally pondered. She shook her head quickly and said, “Good enough! I really just need two more players to make a team with me, Lotte, and Sucy. We’re playing a game after school at three-thirty.”

“Sure, we’ll help,” said Verde, smiling.

“ _Yatta!_ ” Akko cheered, pumping her fists in the air.

“So who’re we playing against?” asked Zizi.

“Amanda O’Neill,” Akko answered simply.

A short pause of awkward silence passed between them where the only sound came from the breeze ruffling their uniforms. Then, Zizi said, “Well, we’re screwed.”

* * *

It was after school, three-thirty on the dot, and Akko turned on the playing field with Lotte, Sucy, Zizi, and Verde, all of them lugging broomsticks on their shoulders. And somehow…the field had completely changed in the few short hours since flight magic class.

Rows upon rows of bleachers had been erected on either side of the playing field, every seat filled with students, faculty, and even the working staff was walking down the aisles selling overpriced snacks and beverages. The yard boomed with the mixture of screams and jeers of the crowd, some waving handmade signs and others even painted themselves in their favorite team’s colors (Akko noticed there was a lot more green than red.) The field itself had two raised goalposts on opposite sides that looked like giant butterfly nets and glowing rainbow-colored rings faded in and out every five seconds at random spots.

Akko had no idea that Scabball was such a huge deal in Luna Nova.

As the five of them marched on their field from one side, Akko spotted Amanda’s team coming from the other end. The redheaded American was leading the pack with a confident swagger, flanked by a blissful Jasminka and a bored Constanze. The last two members Akko didn’t recognize: one girl had bright-red hair that reminded her of Jeanne and the other was a Middle Eastern girl wearing a grey hajib. Akko was only realizing that she didn’t know what kind of magic they used, which admittedly made her a little jittery.

The crackle of a microphone screeched over the roar of the crowd, drawing everyone’s eyes to the sidelines. A small table was propped up directly beside centerfield. Professor Nelson was seated in one of the two chairs provided while the other was taken by an enthusiastic African girl with a fan of carrot-orange hair shooting everywhere. She wore the canary-yellow cloak of Saffron Shaula with its skeletal crest woven in white thread. Akko remembered seeing her during the entrance exam trying to get an interview with Diana.

“ **Welcome, witches of all kinds, to the first unofficial Sabball match of the season!** ” the African girl screamed into the microphone, stomping one foot on the table (she was barefoot for some reason.) “ **Live coverage of this event is brought to you by the Luna Nova News Network! I’m your host, Wangari Maathai! And refereeing this match is Luna Nova’s own flight magic instructor, Professor Nelson!** ” She held out the microphone to the older witch. “ **Anything you want to say to our competitors, professor?** ”

“ **I expect a good, clean match,** ” said Professor Nelson formally, though she shot a sideways leer at Amanda. “ **From everyone.** ”

Amanda only shrugged in response.

“ **It looks like all the competitors are on the scene and raring to go!** ” Wangari yelled. “ **Coming in from the south side is Crimson Ankaa: Lotte Jansson, Sucy Manbavaran, Zizi Delevingne, Verde Shidariza, and Luna Nova’s dark horse, Atsuko “Akko” Kagari!** ”

Less than a quarter of the crowd cheered for them, and it mostly consisted of the other Crimson Ankaa members, Diana, a couple teachers, and a few people that were more or less being polite.

“ **And coming in from the north are the girls from Jade Mimosa!** ” Wangari continued. “ **Aisha Rimal, Sarah Bernhardt, Jasminka Antonenko, Constanze (Insert name here), and the crowd favorite, Amanda O’Neill!** ”

The difference in applause was staggering; the entire school practically shudder the moment Amanda’s name was announced. The witch in question gave a gracious – and theatrical – bow to crowd.

“ **Keeping in the interest of students who need to study for the next day’s classes,** ” Professor Nelson announced, “ **We will shall shorten this match to a single thirty-minute round! Players, line up at centerfield!** ”

“Akko, did you figure out your flying problem?” Lotte whispered as they crossed the field.

“Oh crap!” Akko exclaimed, slapping herself in the face. “I was too busy learning the rules that I forgot to practice!”

“I figured you do something stupid,” said Sucy blandly. She reached into her sleeve and withdrew a small bottle of maroon liquid. “When the game starts, pour this on your broom and it’ll take care of the rest.”

“What does it do?” Lotte asked.

“You’ll see,” said Sucy with a cryptic grin.

The ten witches lined in the middle of the field, Akko standing opposite of Amanda. The players of Jade Mimosa exuded confidence; likely brought on by having an experienced player on their team. But Akko wasn’t intimidated by Amanda. She was dating the most powerful witch of their generation from the most prestigious magical family in the world. By comparison, this was going to be a cake walk in Akko’s opinion.

“ **Players, mount your brooms!** ” said Professor Nelson.

The players did as they were told. Akko frowned as she straddled her broom, eyeing the suspicious potion that Sucy had given her and muttered, “Here goes nothing….” She popped the cork and dumped the entire bottle on the broom’s handle, staining it red. Within seconds, the liquid disappeared like it had been absorbed into the broomstick.

“ **On your marks** ….”

Akko felt her broom shudder strangely.

“ **Get set** ….”

The handle started bending halfway as if made of rubber.

“ ** _GO!_** ”

Wangari whipped out the airhorn she was hiding in her pocket and blasted the noise maker at Professor Nelson’s signal, overlapping with the screams of the crowd. At the same moment, a plain-white ball the size of a watermelon unexplainably materialized ten feet above the players’ heads. As gravity began to pull it down, Crimson Ankaa and Jade Mimosa shot into the air like rockets, jumbling together in a chaotic mess of reds and greens. All except for Akko, who stared at her broom expecting it to snap in two by how far it was bending.

“Hey, wait, what’s going – WAAAAAHHHHH!” Akko squealed in terror as her broom suddenly shot up like a spring, taking the unsuspecting witch with it.

Amanda broke away from the rest of the pack and shot up toward the ball with her hand outstretched. Her finger just brushed the surface of the ball when she was knocked sideways, nearly upending her from her broom. The American quickly corrected herself and looked back to find Akko hover in the air, blinking cluelessly at the ball that had suddenly found itself cradled in her arm.

But gravity once again called Akko back to the ground and the Japanese witch shrieked as she dropped from the terrifying height. Thankfully, she was still clinging to her broom, which immediately bounced off the grass and started hopping towards the goalpost, to the bewilderment of the entire field.

“ **Now there’s something you don’t see every day!** ” Wangari squealed excitedly. “ **Kagari is froghopping on her broom! This has never been seen in the history of Sabball! Professor Nelson, could this be a breach in conduct?** ” she asked, turning to the teacher.

“ **Well,** ” Professor Nelson hummed, scratching her head. “ **Technically, the rules state that all players need to be riding on brooms. It doesn’t exactly say that they need to be in the air though – it’s more implied. So, with all things considered…I suppose I’ll allow it.** ”

“ **One point for Crimson Ankaa!** ” Wangari announced. “ **Bending the rules to work in their favor! But the game has only just begun and Jade Mimosa has already locked in on Kagari!** ”

Hearing Wangari’s commentary, Akko peeked over her shoulder to see three of Jade Mimosa’s players – an irritated Amanda leading – divebombing on top of her. The Japanese witch snapped her head back and forth looking for a way to pass the ball off when she spotted Zizi flying low to the ground near the sidelines, waving that she was open. Akko tossed the ball before Amanda could crash into her, making a successful pass to Zizi, who flattened herself against her broom and sped up.

The tomboyish witch made a beeline for the goalpost when one of the magic rings popped up on her left. Zizi narrowly spotted it and slowed down enough to change course and fly through; the ring evaporated into a colorful mist and was sucked into the ball, which had turned sunny-yellow. Unfortunately, her little detour gave Aisha a chance to catch up, standing guard in front of the goal as she opened her Grimoire.

“ _ **Sand Magic: Forty Fists!**_ ” Aisha shouted.

The terrain beneath Aisha shifted to a lengthy patch of sand as dozens of human-shaped hands suddenly shot up like weeds. Zizi quickly pulled back and hovered just out of their reach. She reached for her own Grimoire when the ball was suddenly kicked out of her arm and Amanda flew around to snatch it up before rocketing in the opposite direction. Akko’s broom hopped in the American’s path, but Amanda steered around her while also ducking underneath Lotte’s feeble attempt to intercept, then performed a barrel roll to dodging Verde sweeping in from the left.

Akko couldn’t deny it: Amanda was a spectacular flier.

The only thing separating Amanda from the goal was Sucy, who was hover in in front of the post. The American witch started pulling back her arm when Sucy brought out her Grimoire (a dark-purple book with _five_ murky-green stars.) Sucy stared down her opposition with a blank look as she cast the spell with barely a mumble:

“ _ **Poison Magic: Toxic Fog.**_ ”

Sucy breathed in deeply through her nose, then exhaled a cloud of noxious gas from her mouth. The haze quickly expanded to cover a quarter of the field and blocked off the goal. But Amanda did not stop. The American grinned as she causally tossed the ball over her shoulder back to Jasminka, who was leisurely flying sidesaddle. Amanda hopped to her feet and pulled out her Grimoire (a bright-orange book with five yellow stars.)

“ **Fire Magic: Blaze Burst!** ” She screamed.

Amanda held out her right hand and a ball of fire formed in the palm of her hand, no bigger than a baseball. But with a confident smirk, she tossed the fireball into the poison cloud. Sucy quirked her brow. Amanda couldn’t have been trying to shoot her from a distance; the cloud was too thick to see through. But then Sucy caught a small glint in the noxious fog before a dome of flames suddenly erupted on the field, pushing the poison cloud aside. The players and audience covered themselves from the intense heat and several upperclassmen used magic to erect barriers around the bleachers as Sucy’s cloud passed over them. When the fire had died down, the field was clear and Amanda and Jasminka were shooting toward the goal.

Sucy grimaced, but held her ground in front of the goal. Amanda shot her a wicked grin before diving out of the way, opening the path for Jasminka. The food-loving witch smiled absently as she reeled her arm back and tossed the ball casually at the goal…if casual was throwing something at a hundred miles per hour. Sucy genuinely freaked out when she saw the ball flying toward her, but was shoved out of the way by Lotte at the last second. The ball shot into the net and Wangari blew her airhorn as a transparent scoreboard suddenly popped into existence above them:

**Crimson Ankaa - Jade Mimosa**

**0 – 20**

**“GOOOOAAALLL!”** Wangari screamed over thee roaring crowd. “ **Jade Mimosa scores the first goal after a grand display of clashing powers between Manbavaran’s poison magic and** **O’Neill’s fire magic! The game is only just starting and I’m already on the edge of my seat.** ”

“ **You’re not even in your seat,** ” Professor Nelson commented, earning a round of laughter from the audience.

“Thanks for saving my neck, Lotte,” Sucy said gratefully as the team gathered around.

“That was too close,” said Lotte, exhaling heavily.

“Okay, so they got the first goal,” said Akko, who had finally settled on her hopping broom. “But we can come back from this, no sweat! We just gotta get the ball first. Easy-peasy.”

Both teams soon returned to the centerfield line and the ball materialized in the air above them. Amanda and Akko were the first ones to shoot up, but Amanda had the advantage of actually flying and grabbed the ball first. The American started flying toward the goal when she felt the ball being shoved out from under her arm. Amanda blinked and looked back; Akko grinned deviously, waving the Shiny Rod she had used to poke the ball out of Amanda’s possession.

The ball fell into Lotte’s arms, who squeaked with a fright as Aisha and Sarah came at her from either side. She dropped several feet, causing them to crashed in a tangle of limbs, and took off for the goal. Lotte was never a fast flier, so it was easy for Amanda and Jasminka to catch up with her. Thankfully, Zizi shouldered Amanda off balance as she began crafting a fireball and Sucy convinced Jasminka to fly the other way by throwing a donut she had on her person.

Lotte felt relieved with her teammates watching her back. She was confident as she flew through one of the rings and started to approach the goal with no one to block her. Lotte prepared her throw when she suddenly felt the ball being plucked out of her hand and looked back. Constance was carrying her metal contraption, which had deployed a grappling hook to snag the ball from Lotte.

With the ball tucked under her arm, Constanze turned –

A sharp whistle blew across the field. Professor Nelson rose from her seat, waving a yellow flag at Constanze.

“ **Use of Illegal equipment!** ” Professor Nelson declared. “ **Penalty shot for Crimson Ankaa!** ”

“ **Uh-oh! Constanze got yellow flagged by the ref!** ” Wangari shouted while Constanze gave Professor Nelson a gesture that earned her a week in detention. “ **Two more and Jade Mimosa could be down a player! Looks like Constanze is going to have to play without her fancy gadgets! All the players are lining up at the goal and it looks like Shidariza is taking the shot for Crimson Ankaa!** ”

Verde floated ten yards away from the goal with Sarah serving as the goalie and the other eight players formed two lines between them. Verde tossed the ball up and down in her hand as if testing its weight. Sarah, on the other hand, whipped out her gray Grimoire and shouted, “ _ **Metal Creation Magic: Steel Safeguard!**_ ” A chromic round shield with the Jade Mimosa emblem emblazoned on the surface formed in Sarah’s hands and the redheaded witch took cover behind it, poking her eyes over the edge.

“Let’s see you get past this!” Sarah challenged.

Verde giggled in response, which greatly confused Sarah. Verde’s Grimoire (a forest-green tome with three yellow stars) floated in the air beside her and glowed.

“ _ **Storage Magic: Release – Frost Magic: Freezing Flash of Fenrir’s Fury!**_ ” Verde shouted.

Everyone watched with curiosity and trepidation as Verde’s left pigtail created a small opening like a caterpillar emerging from a cocoon. Several of them jumped out of their seats as a beam of chilling-blue light shot out of the opening and enveloped Sarah. Before they realized it, Sarah Bernhardt had been flash frozen into a human ice sculpture. Thankfully, Sarah’s broom gently floated her back down to the ground without any damage.

“ _I KNEW IT!”_ Lotte screeched, pointing at Verde’s closing pigtails.

Verde giggled again and nonchalantly tossed the ball into the net.

“ **Goal for Crimson Ankaa!** ” shouted Wangari, blasting the air horn. “ **Shidariza’s unique storage magic literally froze Bernhardt in her tracks! The score is now tied at twenty a piece and we’re not even at the ten-minute mark yet! This is shaping up to be an excellent first match of the season!** ”

While the Crimson Ankaa had returned to their side of the field, the Jade Mimosa gathered around Sarah as Amanda used her fire magic to melt her free. The redhead saw the opposing team huddled together, no doubt taking advantage of the short timeout.

“So that’s how they wanna play it, huh?” said Amanda, smirking. “It’s on now.”

The game became more outrageous from then on with more magic and questionable calls being thrown into the mix.

The ball was typically in the hands of Amanda or Zizi for the majority of the game while everyone else played support. Aisha and Sarah combined their sand and metal magics to create a formidable defense around the goal, which Zizi was only able to get past because of Verde’s storage magic, which Akko learned could not only store objects, but magic itself in her curls. Jasminka was the strongest on their field with a throw that could break the sound barrier, but Sucy always had some type of sweet she got from Shiny-Chariot-knows-where and lured Jasminka away. And without her gadgets, Constanze contributed little more than simply passing the ball to Amanda. Lotte became the surprise dark horse of the game with her spirit magic, creating a veritable minefield of ghostly apparitions that dulled the players senses when they came in contact. Amanda was embarrassed to admit that she had fallen into Lotte’s trap more than anyone else.

And then there was Akko.

Even though she had been the one who accepted the challenge, she was playing the least. She couldn’t get anywhere fast with a hopping broom, so she couldn’t work on offense, and her only spell would get her in serious trouble if used on the players. So, after a very snide comment from Sucy, Akko was delegated to permanent goaltender. The Japanese grumbled under her breath, cheeks puffed and pouting.

“Dumb non-flying broom, dumb Amanda with her dumb face, dumb Sucy and her dummy dumbness.”

“ **And O’Neill is ripping down the field!** ” Wangari commentated. “ **She passes through another ring, making it forty points total! Delevingne goes in for the steal – OOF! Denied by Rimal’s sand magic! Manbavaran brings out her Grimoire – Oh, but she’s knocked off course by a tackle from Constanze! Big things come in small packages, I guess. O’Neill is flying through Jansson’s spirits – she’s swerving around them with keen precision – and she breaks through to the other end! She’s heading toward the goal. She takes the shot. Kagari leaps to block. She misses. AND IT’S GOOD!** ”

Wangari blasts the airhorn again and the crowd explodes. Akko landed back on the grass with a grimace as she stared up at the scoreboard.

**Crimson Ankaa - Jade Mimosa**

**80 – 110**

“ **Jade Mimosa is up by thirty and there are only three minutes left on the clock!** ” Wangari announced. “ **Will Crimson Ankaa be able to pull off a come from behind victory? Or has Jade** **Mimosa secured the win?** ”

“Ready to give up yet?” asked Amanda, floating level with Akko.

“It’s not over until the final buzzer – er, horn or whatever,” Akko retorted, glaring with determination.

Amanda smiled widely and said, “I like your attitude, Akko. Never giving up in the face of impossible odds. I almost feel bad that I’m about to kick your butt.”

“Yeah, thanks, I – wait, what do you mean you’ll kick my butt?!” Akko shouted at the realization.

Amanda threw her head back, barking with laughter, and flew back to the centerfield line. Akko puffed out her reddened cheeks in annoyance.

“ **The game is entering it’s final minutes,** ” Wangari announced in a hush. “ **Crimson Ankaa needs thirty points to tie and forty to win the game. With so little time left, will they make it. We’re about to find out** ….”

When the last ball of the game appeared in the air, the players broke out in the usual scramble for possession while Akko hopped her way to the goal. As usual, Amanda was the first to reach and practically bulldozed through the other players using Jasminka as a human shield. Sucy performed a spell that splattered a geyser of foul-smelling poison until Sarah crafted a metal wall to intercept. Zizi tried to catch them with pure speed, but Amanda pushed a blissful Jasminka into Zizi’s path and the tomboyish witch bounced off the chubby witch like she was made of rubber. And in between successful dodges, Amanda had flown through two rings, turning the ball emerald-green.

Amanda was coming down to the final stretch with only Akko standing between her and the goal.

But with the Japanese witch only able to hop, it was only a matter of timing her shot. But this was Amanda. She wasn’t going to end the game with a plain throw. She always went out with style!

Amanda stood on her broomstick precariously while her Grimoire floated beside her, grasping the ball between her hands. She coated the ball in magic fire, transforming it into a literal fireball.

“Try this on for size!” Amanda challenged, reeling back her arm. “ _ **Fire Magic: Flare Shot!**_ ”

She launched the ball with all her might, the ball whistling through the air like a bullet. Akko had touched ground and was in the middle of bouncing back up, but she knew her arms couldn’t reach high enough to block it; not that she could with it being covered in fire. So, in a moment of panicked desperation, Akko jabbed the Shiny Rod in the air. The magic tool barely tapped the bottom of the ball, knocking it off course by the slightest margin, just enough to smack it into the goal post and bounce off. Verde swooped in for the grab, sucking the magical fire into the infinite void of her curls, and took off.

“ **Rejected!** ” Wangari howled excitedly, now outright standing on the table. “ **Kagari makes the save by a hair’s breadth! Crimson Ankaa is in possession of the ball, but there’s less than a minute left on the clock! Will they make it in time?!** ”

Akko exhaled a breath she didn’t know she was holding…until she felt a strange warmth in her right hand and realized the Shiny Rod was on fire!

“BWAH! No, don’t, put it out, put it out!” Akko screeched, flailing the Shiny Rod wildly.

But something…strange happened. When she stopped waving it around, Akko noticed that the flames were receding, being sucked into the seven jewels. The gemstones flashed bright-red and Akko felt a deep rumble in her Grimoire pouch. Akko’s Seven-Star Grimoire was glowing bright-red – the same as the gemstones – and the pages flew open to the first quarter of the book. It stopped on a blank page, which was soon filled in with hundreds of indecipherable characters and a drawing of a flame sigil.

“Is this a new spell?” Akko gasped. “Wait, I know this….”

“ **And Shidariza makes a pass to Delevingne, who flies though another ring, bringing the total to forty points!** ” Wangari’s screams broke though Akko’s musings. “ **If Crimson Ankaa manages to make this goal, they’ll win the game! But O’Neill is hot on her tail!** ”

Akko snapped her head up at this information. Zizi had flattened herself against her broom with the ocean-blue ball tucked under her arm, but Amanda was only feet behind her. The American had her Grimoire ready for her next spell, which would likely knock Zizi off her broom. Akko gazed at her new spell, then back at Amanda and Zizi, and she immediately knew what she had to do. Akko tilted her broomstick at an angle, pushing it as low to the ground as possible, then released and took off like a bullet.

Amanda was gaining on Zizi. She was so close that she could just reach out and grab Zizi’s broom if she wanted, but that would give Crimson Ankaa a penalty shot. The American witch raised her right hand, summoning a small fireball, when she heard someone shouting, “HEY, AMANDA!”, which drew her attention over her shoulder.

For a split second, Amanda thought Akko was actually flying by her low she was against her broom until the Japanese touched the ground and bounced up again. She was too far away to be of any real concern for Amanda. That was until she saw Akko’s Grimoire floating beside her, coated in a burning-red aura, and the witch pointed the Shiny Rod in her direction.

“What is she - ?” Amanda mumbled, but was cut off by Akko’s shouts.

“ _ **Fire Magic: Flare Shot!**_ ”

Amanda did a doubletake when she saw her own spell being formed at the head of Akko’s Shiny Rod and being thrown at her. She was so dumbfounded, she didn’t move out of the way as Akko’s fireball blasted the tail end of her broom, lighting the brush on fire. Amanda snapped out of her stupor when she started freefalling, letting out a frightened squeal, then hit the ground so hard she bounced several feet before flopping on her face down in the grass.

“ **O’Neill has been knocked out the sky by Kagari’s fire spell!** ” Wangari announced. “ **She’s definitely gonna feel that in the – wait a minute. Fire spell?! Didn’t Kagari use light magic during the exams?! Can she use _two_ elements now?! Is there no limit to what this common – I mean, this little witch can do?!**”

The crowd broke out in hushed discussions. Some were as bewildered as Wangari, and others suspected Akko of cheating. Only Diana held a proud and knowing smile.

Meanwhile, Zizi swerved past both Costanze and Sarah and made a breakaway for the goal. There was only ten seconds left on the clock. Putting all the strength she could muster into her arm, Zizi threw the ball at the goal…but was intercepted by a giant sand hand catching the ball in its palm. Aisha hovered nearby with her Grimoire out.

And then the final airhorn blew. The game was over.

“ **That’s it, witches; game, set, and match!** ” declared Wangari. “ **The final score is 80 – 110 in Jade Mimosa’s favor! Jade Mimosa wins!** ” She paused to let the crowd get in their cheers. “ **Even though it wasn’t an official match, it was still an exciting one filled with all kinds of twists and turns. Speaking personally, I hope we see these girls again when the real Sabball season starts. But for now, this is Wangari Maathai from Luna Nova News Network signing off!** ”

“I’m sorry guys,” Akko apologized sadly as her team gathered around. “We lost because of me.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Akko,” said Lotte gently. “They were just a little better than us, especially Amanda.”

“Honestly, we did _way_ better than I thought we would,” said Zizi; Verde nodded in agreement.

“But I could’ve done more to help if I knew how to fly this stupid broom!” Akko growled frustratedly, leering at the cleaning implement.

“Hey, don’t sell yourself short,” Amanda suddenly appeared besides her, throwing her arm good-naturedly around Akko’s shoulder. The rest of the Jade Mimosa team joined them. “You did pretty good, all things considered. You found a loophole to let you play, and that fire spell you used _flattened me!_ I can count the number of people who’ve done that on one hand. I had no idea you could use fire magic, too.”

“Yeah…me neither,” Akko grinned sheepishly.

“You all used your magic in such creative ways,” Aisha complimented. “Like that spirit spell that disoriented us for more than half the game. That was truly inspiring, Miss Jansson.”

“It...it was nothing,” Lotte mumbled, smiling embarrassingly.

“And that thing you did with your hair was awesome, even if I am still mad about it,” Sarah said to Verde. “Everyone always says Crimson Ankaa is a bunch of losers, but you girls are all right in my books.”

Jasminka, who was still eating nonstop, nodded and Constanze gave a silent thumbs-up. Those were probably the highest compliments they were gonna get out of those two.

“Whaddya girls say we get something to eat to celebrate?” said Amanda cheerfully. “I know this awesome burger shop in Blytonbury.”

“Can Diana come?” Akko asked hopefully.

“Just as long as you don’t ‘Lady-and-Tramp’ over the fries,” Amanda joked.

The gathered crowd broke out in laughter at Akko’s expense. The Japanese witch’s cheeks were dusted bright-pink as Amanda practically dragged off the field, teasing her ceaselessly as Diana ran toward them.

Akko didn’t win the Sabball match, but walking the streets of Blytonbury, surrounded by new friends and hand-in-hand with Diana, she didn’t feel like she lost either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of the chapters written by ZeroTheLeech. From this point forward, it will be all original content. I've already started working on the next chapter, but who know when it will be up. I hope you will support me as we continue through this story.


	8. Akko Gets a Job

At last – at sweet, merciful, long last – the holiest of days had come: Saturday.

Akko will be the first to admit that magic school was nothing like she had imagined it would be. In her mind, it involved a lot of flashy magic, fire-breathing dragons, evil conspiracies, wacky over-the-top adventures, and a big bad that was plotting to take over the world and it was her destiny to stop them. (Okay, looking back, Akko might have been reaching a bit.) But reality was a cruel mistress. The entire week, all Akko had done was sit in a bunch of boring classes and listen to hour-long lectures. She hadn’t even used a single spell since her Sabball game against Amanda.

Speaking of which.

Akko was sitting at the bench closest to the open kitchen next to Lotte and across from Sucy as they waited for breakfast. Lin-Lin was on kitchen duty today and Akko had a sneaking suspicion today’s meal might include bamboo. The Shiny Rod and the Seven-Star Grimoire was laid out on the table in front of them; the latter was opened up to the page Akko had acquired last Thursday. The Japanese witch hummed to herself, arms crossed, her brow scrunched up like she was in deep thought (or she had to use the bathroom.)

“The Shiny Rod _absorbed_ Amanda’s magic?” Lotte piped up after Akko finished her explanation. “And then a new spell appeared in your Grimoire?”

“Not just any spell – Amanda’s spell,” Akko reiterated. “The same one she used during the Sabball game. It’s like…the Shiny Rod gobbled it up and then copied it into my Grimoire. Hey!” Akko suddenly perked up. “If the Shiny Rod ate Amanda’s fire spell, maybe it can eat all kinds of magic and copy it down! Sucy, hit me with your best poison magic!”

“You have no idea how happy that makes me,” said Sucy, though her deep frown proved otherwise.

“No! Bad Sucy!” Lotte snapped as the Filipino raised her Grimoire. Sucy whined softly and lowered the tome before Lotte rounded to the Japanese. “How about we consult with Diana before we start putting your life in unnecessary risk.”

“Already tried that,” said Akko, leaning her head in her hand with a frown. “After I told her about it, she ran off to the library and never came back. Said she wanted to do some research. I don’t think she’s coming out of there for the whole weekend.”

“Wow, your girlfriend ditched you on your first weekend together,” Sucy snickered; Akko pouted angrily. “Sucks to be you…. Hey, how’s it coming with breakfast?! We’re starving over here!” she shouted at Lin-Lin.

“Keep your cloaks on; breakfast isn’t going to make itself,” said Lin-Lin, who suddenly grinned and flashed a familiar potion bottle. “At least not until I add this animation potion you gave me.”

The Chinese witch poured the maroon potion over the ingredients laid out across the kitchen counter and watched the liquid be absorbed. The various ingredients suddenly jumped up and, quite disturbingly, grew thin arms and legs. Lin-Lin rubbed her palms with a villainous grin.

“Success!” She cheered. “All right everyone – into the pot!”

But the animated food stuff had other ideas. The ingredients hopped off the counter and made a break for the door just as Elsa and Catherine walked in, staring incredulously as they ran between their legs. A chunk of cheese stopped at the threshold, turned to Lin-Lin and made a raspberry noise before running out, somehow slamming the door behind it.

“…Why did I think that would work?” Lin-Lin asked herself before addressing the new arrivals. “Hey, Elsa. Hey, Catherine. If you want breakfast, you’re gonna have to catch it.”

“That’s okay, we’ll probably just get something on the way to our jobs,” said Elsa.

“Oh, right, I forgot about that,” said Lin-Lin. “Say, on you way back, do you think you can – “

“Pick up your favorite bamboo treats from the pet store?” Catherine finished with a small snigger. “We got it, we got it. Just don’t bring anymore food to life when we get back.”

“No promises~🎵” Lin-Lin said in a sing-song voice.

“Elsa-senpai and Catherine-senpai have jobs?” Akko asked curiously when the upperclassmen were out of the room.

“At least more than half the school should be out on jobs right now,” answered Lin-Lin, who had forgone making breakfest with magic potions and was properly chopping vegetables while heating a pot of water on the stove. “It’s the first weekend of the school year. Everyone wants to get the best jobs right off the bat so they can get a head start for the rest of the year.”

“Are the students really that hard up for money?” asked Lotte worriedly.

“I thought the school provided a weekly allowance,” said Sucy.

“Money? What’re – ooohhh!” Lin-Lin said as realization dawned on her. “I see the confusion. No one’s shown you the request boards, have they?”

“Request boards?” Akko repeated, tilting her head.

“Don’t worry, Luna Nova’s not hitting a financial drought,” Lin-Lin waved them off. “Everyone’s taking the weekend to collect job requests for school credit. I can show you where the request boards are after breakfast – “

That’s when Ursula’s voice carried from somewhere in the fortress: “Why is there an army of fruit taking over the bathroom?!”

“Or now! Now’s good, too!” Lin-Lin yelped, zipping out the room in a blur.

* * *

Akko, Lotte, and Sucy followed Lin-Lin to the main school (and away from the breakfast army’s slow, inevitable conquest of the Crimson Ankaa fortress.) The Chinese witch led them down to the second floor to a pair of double doors situated directly across from the cafeteria’s upper entrance, through which Akko could hear the clatter of students catching early morning meals. Lin-Lin grabbed the doors by the handles and threw them open with a dramatic flare before gesturing them inside. The freshmen stepped forward and Akko looked around with a soft, “Whoa….”

The room was roughly same size of the potion labs on the first floor with a wall of windows opening providing an overhead view of the courtyard. A single claw-footed desk stood in the middle of the room where Professor Finnelan was speaking quietly to a trio of Gray Gienah students. Giant corkboard covered the entire left and right walls, pinned with what seemed like hundreds of little flyers and notes. Students from every guild loitered around the bulletin boards, some standing around with thoughtful gazes and others chatting among themselves over one flyer.

The Gray Gienah students finished speaking to Professor Finnelan, one of them stuffing a flyer in their pocket, and walked out past Akko and the others. Lin-Lin approached Finnelan’s desk, the uptight teacher scribbling something in a large ledger before looking up.

“Yes?” she said before noticing Akko, her expression instantly morphing into a familiar scowl. “Oh, it’s you. Isn’t it enough you give me migraines on weekdays?”

Akko opened her mouth to retort, but Lotte jabbed one of her pointy elbows into the Japanese’s gut.

“Good morning, Professor Finnelan,” Lin-Lin chirped pleasantly, despite present company. “Did Elsa and Catherine come by?”

“I’m afraid you just missed them,” said Professor Finnelan politely. Huh, Akko thought, guess the old windbag was just rude to her. “They took a job request in Wedinburgh – lovely place this time of year. They’re expected to be back somewhere around noon tomorrow.”

“Lucky…,” Lin-Lin pouted.

“Is there anything I can help you with, Miss Xióngmāo?” asked Professor Finnelan.

“It’s the first weekend of the year and the newbies are looking to take on some job requests,” Lin-Lin explained, gesturing to Akko, Lotte, and Sucy over her shoulder. “You mind telling them what it’s about. I’m not the best at explaining things.”

“Yes, well,” Professor Finnelan cleared her throat importantly. “I suppose, as an educator, it is my duty to keep young students informed on the happens of Luna Nova Academy…. Even commoners, I suppose,” she added with a hint of spite.

Akko had a gesture she wanted to give that would undoubtedly receive a month’s detention.

“ _This,_ ” Professor Finnelan gestured around the room, “is the Job Request Hall. Everyday, clients come to Luna Nova requesting aid. They range from simple jobs like babysitting and farming to dangerous ones like dungeons and monster extermination. The job requests are then posted on the request boards you see on either side of the room.

“ _HOWEVER!_ ” she stressed importantly. "The requests are separated based on their level of difficulty. And certain jobs can only be received based on a student’s academic level. For example: the board on the left-hand side are considered first-year level, so anyone from first to third years are allowed to take them. But the board on the right-hand side are for second-years and up, meaning you won’t be allowed to take them. And there are also requests reserved strictly for third-years, but you don’t need to know about that.”

“So it’s like a mission board in a fantasy RPG,” Akko simplified, pounding her fist in her palm with an ‘A-ha!’ look.

“I…suppose so,” Professor Finnelan said strangely, completely lack any sort of video game knowledge.

“Do we get paid for taking jobs?” Lotte asked curiously.

“Students who are successful with their requests are compensated with school credit,” Professor Finnelan answered. “School credits can be used towards many things around Luna Nova Academy: the student store, special meals, upgraded accommodations, and other privilages. The more requests you complete, the more credits you add to your total.”

“Ugh, sounds ways too complicated,” Sucy groaned.

“But…why do we need to take jobs anyway?” asked Lotte. “Aren’t we supposed to be studying how to become witches?”

“Taking jobs gives students experience for after the graduate,” stated Professor Finnelan. “You don’t necessarily have to take any requests. There are plenty of students who prioritize their studies over jobs. But I would highly recommend it, if only to gain some real-world experience.”

“We should totally take one!” Akko said enthusiastically, throwing her arms around Lotte and Sucy’s necks. “The three of us! Together! It’ll be fun!”

“She’s not going to give us a choice, is she?” Sucy bemoaned.

“I don’t think so,” said Lotte uneasily.

“Since you three are only first-years,” said Professor Finnelan emphatically, “you will be taking requests from the left-hand side _only_. Once you’ve picked out a request, bring it to me for approval. I’m keeping my eye on you, Miss Kagari…” she added, her eyes narrowing severely.

Akko’s “very mature” response was sticking her tongue out.

“Whelp, you girls have fun,” Lin-Lin waved them off, heading out the door. “I’ve got to go stop a delicious and nutritious uprising. _Zhù nǐ chénggōng!_ ”

Akko, Lotte, and Sucy moved to the left-hand board, mingling with the small crowd. There were a lot of interesting jobs that attracted the young Japanese’s attention. There were small, almost menial jobs like babysitting and grocery shopping, some involved clearing out invading magical creatures like pixies and gnomes, and a few of them were just downright odd. There was one in particular about an undisclosed job that required meeting the client in a dark alley in the middle of the night where no one could see…. Akko questioned Luna Nova’s screening process.

Akko rubbed her chin, humming thoughtfully.

“What do we want for our first job as witches?” she muttered. “Daycare volunteer work – hard pass. Children are _evil!_ The Great and Powerful Trixie is looking for a great and powerful assistant – I get a bad feeling about that one. Ooh, look! There’s a job for racing a hedgehog! That sounds easy.”

“It says the hedgehog can break the sound barrier,” Lotte informed, pointing out the fine print at the bottom.

“There’s one here about picking mush – “ Sucy began before Akko and Lotte cut her off with a loud, “ ** _NO!_** ”

“ _Mou,_ all of these jobs are boring or weird,” Akko complained. “Don’t they have any exciting jobs like slaying dragons or dungeon crawling adventures?”

“You might want to learn more than two spells before tackling _those_ kinds of jobs.”

The Japanese witch tilted her head all the way back, which was really dumb because she fell backwards onto the hardwood floor, smacking her head. Akko curled up on the floor, hands flying to the bump on her head, biting her bottom lip and fighting back tears. She heard a pleasant giggle from above and looked up as Diana’s face came into view. She could tell the Brit was trying, and failing, not to laugh.

“Why is it that every time we see each other, you always end up on the ground?” Diana teased playfully.

“What can I say?” Akko responded with a small, twitchy grin. “I just can’t help falling for you.”

“Flatterer,” said Diana, her cheeks slightly tinged, offering her hand. She hauled the Japanese up and asked, “I take it you are looking for a job?”

“Yeah, Lin-Lin-senpai just told us about it,” said Akko eagerly. “We were thinking about what job we wanna do when – “ She suddenly let out a dramatic gasp and clasped Diana’s hands. “We should totally take a job together!”

“Take a job together?” Diana repeated curiously.

“It would be so awesome!” Akko cheered. “We could go on some quest, have fun with magic, and just hang out! We haven’t spent any real time together since school started! It’s perfect!”

“Yes, we haven’t had many chances to be together,” Diana retorted with a slight tone in her voice. “We _were_ invited to the same guild, but _someone_ decided to run off to some other guild instead of staying with her _girlfriend._ ”

“ _Urk!_ ” Akko choked, sweating. “I…thought…you were…okay with it…?”

“I might not have been entirely honest,” said Diana evenly.

“Er…well, now’s our chance!” Akko chirped optimistically, throwing her arm around Diana’s shoulder, pulling her close. “We can take a job together, just the two of us! …And maybe Lotte and Sucy – but they pretty much blend in with the background! You’ll never notice they’re there!”

“You’re a crappy friend,” Sucy piped up next to them; Lotte was still scanning over the flyers.

“That _would_ be lovely,” said Diana with a sympathetic smile. “However….”

That was when Akko’s two most disliked people in the entire world (next to Professor Finnelan) popped up at either side of Diana. Hannah was clutching one of the flyers from the request board with an eager smile and Barbara looked like she had won the lottery as she said, “Diana, check out the – oh, it’s you.”

Their expressions immediately darkened as they locked eye with Akko, who was equally dismayed by their presence. Diana sighed heavily and rubbed the bridge of her nose, already feeling the inevitable migraine setting in. Hannah and Barbara stepped up to Akko, their noses turned up like she was something undesirable (which wasn’t that far off as the rest of the school was concerned.)

“Trying to leech off of Diana’s kindness again, commoner?” Barbara sniffed.

“That funny coming from a couple of parasites,” Akko sneered; Hannah and Barbara had the decency to look affronted.

“Grr…don’t think you’re oh-so special just because Professor Croix invited you to Royal Regulus,” Hannah leered. “You were a fool for turning down an invite to the best guild in Luna Nova for biggest losers on campus. And don’t go thinking you’re better than you really are because you played Sabball with Amanda O’Neill.” Much to Akko’s surprise, the brunette leaned in close, whisper conspiratorially. “Uh…speaking of whom, do you happen to know is she’s single or – “

“Hannah!” Barbara snapped.

“I didn’t say anything!” Hannah yelped, stiffening up.

“If I may interrupt,” Diana sharply intervened before they start whipping out Grimoires in front of Finnelan. She turned to Hannah and Barbara. “Did you two find a job you wished to take?”

Hannah perked up, flashing the flyer, and said, “There’s a bookstore in Blytonbury looking for part-time workers. We know how much you like reading, so it’s perfect for you…. And it just so happens that the bookstore in question is in the middle of the Blytonbury Outlet Mall. So, we could go shopping during out breaks – “

“I knew you had to have an ulterior motive,” said Diana.

“ _Booooring!_ ” Akko said aloud, earning the distasteful glares of the bullies. “Diana doesn’t wanna be stuck in some dusty old bookstore!”

“I like books…,” Diana muttered.

“Oh yeah, then what do you have in mind, huh?” Barbara challenged scathingly.

Akko opened her mouth to retort when she realized that she hadn’t even picked out a job for herself. None of the ones she had seen so far had been very appealing or exciting. Thankfully, Lotte and Sucy came to her rescue; the former taking one off the flyers from the request board.

“Akko, look, I think this might be something you’d like,” said Lotte, adjusting her glasses. “There’s a family on the outskirts of town looking for some witches to get rid of the gnomes in their garden…. And for some reason the post goes on to mentioning stupid, ungrateful, redheaded children with the youngest son being a retarded moron….”

“I’m hoping they’ll let us keep the little beasties,” said Sucy with a creepy grin. “Gnome fingers are perfect for brewing poisons that will turn your guts to mush.”

“You see, now _that’s_ a real job!” Akko said pointedly, ignoring creepy Sucy being creepy. “It has magic and monsters – “

“And it totally disgusting,” Barbara moaned, scrunching her nose in revolution. “Gnomes are ugly, and smelly, and they roll around in – Blugh! Someone as refined as Diana would never take on such a distasteful task. You can do it, though. You’re accustomed to eating dirt.”

“Diana’s taking the job with me,” Akko growled.

“No, she’s taking the job with us,” Hannah sneered, leaning in closer.

“Me!”

“Us!

“ ** _DIANA?!_** ” Akko, Hannah, and Barbara yelled simultaneously, turning to disgruntled witch.

The Cavendish heir pressed a finger to her forehead like it would stop the mounting headache. Both her girlfriend and her guildmates were shoving their selected jobs into Diana’s face, locked in a shouting match that had everyone in the room watching. Why wasn’t Finnelan doing something to stop them, Diana asked herself. She knew that they weren’t going to quit until she picked one of them and either choice would result in someone throwing a tantrum.

Diana sighed, opening her mouth to answer –

* * *

“Welcome to the Last Wednesday Society,” the proprietor said in a dry tone. “Thanks for accepting my request.”

Diana could feel the burning glares from Akko, Hannah, and Barbara on either side of her, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her head.

In her desperation to quell their petty argument, Diana had picked out her own job request, one she thought would satisfy both parties. Thus, they found themselves in the back room of the Last Wednesday Society, the biggest (and only) magical item café in Blytonbury.

You wouldn’t tell that it was well-respected shop considering its small size and assortment of oddities scattered about, but the store had a fair number of customers when they showed up. The store had rows of shelves filled with unique and sometimes sinister-looking items and a little café in the corner of the store containing a couple chairs, a bar, and a single table lit by a green-flamed candelabra. All around the store were framed and autographed photos of past customers hanging on the wall, including, to the girls’ amazement, Professor Croix, Professor Holbrooke, and even Chariot du Nord!

The proprietor, a portly man with a small beard and a green tattoo on his arm, had led the girls to the back when he saw their uniforms and provided them with gray aprons to wear overtop. Hannah and Barbara looked like they would rather pluck their eyes out with a rusty spoon, but reluctantly put them on at Diana’s insistence. The proprietor looked over them with his fists on his hips.

“All right, here’s the deal,” said the proprietor in the same dry tone. “I need to go out for a little while to pick up some new stock downtown. So I need you girls to hold down the fort while I’m gone. It shouldn’t be that hard since there’s six of you.”

“You underestimate the level of chaos we’re capable of,” Sucy snickered.

“Sucy!” Lotte hissed under her breath.

“I went ahead and made a list of things that need to be done while I’m out,” said the Proprietor, revealing a roll of paper and unfurling it. “I need you to reorganize the shelves to make room for the new shipment. Do inventor of all the stock in back. Work the register, tend to the café, sweep the floors, get rid of the manticore in the basement – “

“What was that last part?” Akko asked quickly.

“Uh…forget I said anything,” said the proprietor shiftily, tearing the bottom of the list before handing it to Diana. “Just make sure the place is still standing by the time I get back and I’ll tell the school you did a good job.”

“Rest assured, your shop is in good hands, Mr…uh…,” Diana hummed, the proprietor’s name escaping her.

“Well, good luck to you,” The proprietor waved them off, exiting the store through the back door.

“…He still didn’t tell us his name,” Lotte commented.

“ _Mou,_ _Diana_!” Akko whined childishly. “Why’d you pick this job?! I don’t wanna be stuck in some dusty store all day!”

“And we especially didn’t want to be working in a place so…disturbing,” Barbara grimaced, noticing the rack of dead rats hanging on the wall.

Diana sighed exasperatedly, turning from Akko to Hannah and Barbara respectively, saying, “You’re the ones who couldn’t agree on anything, so I compromised. Akko wanted to work with something involving magic and you two wanted to work at a store.”

“This isn’t exactly what we had in mind,” Hannah grumbled.

“Let’s try to make the best of it,” Lotte suggested hopefully. “It’s just for a few hours.”

“Which is plenty of time for Akko to do something stupid that will end with the place being completely trashed,” said Sucy blandly.

“Your lack of faith in me is very hurtful,” said Akko.

“Let’s just…,” Diana started, taking a deep breath through her nose before continuing. “Let’s just try to get through this with as little trouble as possible.” She unrolled the list the proprietor gave her and looked it over. “It’ll be faster if we split off into pairs. Barbara and Lotte work the shelves and clean the floors. Hannah and Sucy can organize the back room. And Akko and I shall handle the counter and the café.”

“So you want us to work with these losers while you hang out with your girlfriend?” said Hannah, gesturing to Lotte and Sucy disdainfully. “Isn’t that convenient.”

“Would _you_ rather work with Akko?” Diana challenged.

The group of five turned their heads toward the aforementioned witch, who had gotten bored quickly and wandered around the room. She had climbed halfway up a messy pile of assorted junk, stretching her arm for some kind of crystalline figure, when her foot slipped and she went tumbling down. Diana and the others winced at the resulting crash as the pile came down on Akko’s head, the crystal figure she had been reaching for smashing on the floor. Akko’s head emerged a moment later, her eyes spinning dizzily.

“…Whelp, we better get to work!” Hannah said perkily, rolling up her sleeves. “This room isn’t gonna organize itself!”

“Technically, it could if we – “ Sucy started.

“No animation potions!” said Lotte, putting her foot down.

“Killjoy,” Sucy muttered, but nonetheless glided after Hannah.

Meanwhile, Lotte and Barbara exchanged awkward sideways glances. Lotte smiled sheepishly, but Barbara remained indifferent, grabbing a broom and tossing it to the bespectacled girl.

“I don’t do sweeping,” said Barbara firmly. Lotte let out a pitiful noise and dragged her feet out the room with Barbara.

That just left Diana and Akko. The blonde aristocrat shook her head and approached her girlfriend, pulling her out of the junk pile by the ear.

“ _Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! DIANA!_ ” Akko complained. “Watch the ears! You know they’re sensitive!”

“I am not letting you out of my sight for a second,” Diana declared, dragging Akko toward the door. “Now come along. We have a full day of work ahead of us.”

“ _The ear! THE EAR!_ ”

* * *

The first hour of their work request went by surprisingly calm and quiet, which was the least you would expect where Akko was involved. They had a decent number of customers come in, browsing the shelves for something that would catch their interest or order something from the café and sit in the corner quietly with a book. Akko had, predictably, been complaining how boring everything was within the first ten minutes, flopping over the counter while Diana worked the register.

Diana had the foresight to put up a sign for the customers that said, “ **Please ignore the Whiny Witch of the East,** ” which Akko found very insulting. The Cavendish heir was the perfect sales witch, as she was with all things, smiling brightly and making polite conversation. She even managed to convince several customers to purchase items they didn’t even consider for a few extra pounds. Occasionally they saw Lotte sweeping between the shelves, assisted by a little spirit holding a dust pan. They could hear Barbara shuffling items somewhere in the store, trying to establish some type of order when it seemed like everything was just thrown on the shelves at random. They hadn’t heard any noise from the back room for a long time, which made Akko worried that Sucy might've killed Hannah, so she went to check on them. Thankfully, there were no bodies – Hannah and Sucy were just taking stock while purpose avoiding any interactions with each other.

Satisfied, Akko walked back around the counter and flopped over her designated spot while Diana finished bagging another customer’s items.

“Thank you for shopping at the Last Wednesday Society,” Diana said politely. “Come again soon.”

“Ugh, are we done yet?!” Akko complained when the customer left. “This is so boring!”

“Boring or not, it’s still a job, Akko,” said Diana, sighing for the hundredth time that hour. “Not everything is going to be some exciting, life-threatening adventure. Sometimes we have to do real work that involves boring, mundane tasks.”

“Then what’s the point of being witches?” Akko groaned.

“Tell you what: how about next week, _you_ choose the job,” Diana offering, resting her hand on top of Akko’s “I don’t really care what we do as long as we do it together. Isn’t that the reason why we took _this_ job in the first place? To spend time with each other?”

Akko looked at Diana’s hand, snort under her breath, and turned her own hand over to wrap around her girlfriend’s.

“That…was incredibly cheesy,” Akko giggled. Diana turned a soft shade of red. “Did you get that out of a romance novel?”

“What?! No! Of course not!” Diana yelped awkwardly. “I – I was just saying what was in my heart! How rude of you to accuse me of stealing some line from uncultured literature! Honestly, the nerve!” She turned away from Akko in a huff, then muttered to herself. “That’s the last time I ask Barbara to let me borrow her book.”

Unfortunately for Diana, the Japanese witch had an excellent sense of hearing and caught every word, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. Oh, she was going to milk this one for the rest of the day.

Speaking of her guildmate, Barbara was sulking near the back-right section of the store, her knees aching as she was forced to crouch down to the lowest shelf to check the stock. Barbara grimaced when she saw that whole shelf was stuffed with books that looked like they had been crammed into the small space and never touched again. The dust they accumulated was so thick she couldn’t make out the title or even the color of the cover. The dark-haired English girl had no desire to touch them with her bare hands, but Diana would berate her if she didn’t do her assigned task and she didn’t have any gloves nearby. So how could –

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. Feeling quite proud of herself, Barbara reached into her side bag and pulled out her frosty-blue Five-Star Grimoire and flipped it to a page near the front.

“ _ **Ice Creation Magic: Cold Vambrace**_ ,” she muttered quietly.

Solid ice was expelled from the pores of her forearm, climbing the length of her hand and forming a pair of medieval gauntlets. The gauntlets were surprisingly well-detailed. They had the exact creases around the fingers to make the gloves flexible, a wreath of roses was etched beautifully around the arms, and Royal Regulus lantern engraved into the back of the hands. If there was one thing to be said about Barbara, it was that she had an artistic sense.

She grabbed one of the dusty books with her frozen hands, but it was wedged in tight. She pulled on it harder, but it wouldn’t budge. Annoyed, Barbara planted her feet against the shelf, grabbed the book with both hands, and pulled with all her might. She was able to pry the book free with a **_pop_** , but the thing about wearing ice gloves is that they’re _very_ slippery.

Barbara fell flat on her back, watching stupefied as the book went sailing down the aisle just as Lotte appeared around the corner. The bespectacled witch was focused on sweeping the floor that she didn’t notice the projectile until it smacked her in the back of the head. Lotte fell flat on her face with a muffled groan, her spirit companion squeaking like a frightened mouse and puffed out of existence. Lotte let out a small whine as she sat up, rubbing the sore spot on her head, and picked up the item that had clocked her. She turned to Barbara, who was giving her a look like she was waiting for Lotte to challenge her.

“Did – did you throw this book at me?” Lotte asked timidly.

“No,” Barbara scoffed. “The stuck thing was stuck and I had to pull it loose. You just happened to be standing there when it happened.”

“Oh…okay,” said Lotte softly.

“Like I would’ve even noticed you in the first place,” Barbara mumbled aloud, crouching back to the shelf. “Doesn’t have any presence….”

Lotte frowned at the obvious jab and sighed to herself. Looking at the book again, she wiped the dust away from the cover with her hand, not caring about getting dirty. When she saw the title, however, she let out an overexaggerated gasp.

“This…this can’t be…,” Lotte said in awe. “This book…it’s the first volume of the Night Fall series…and it’s a first edition!”

All of a sudden, Barbara was kneeling at Lotte’s shoulder like a dog that had been called for dinner. She was certainly staring at the book like it was a treat.

“No way, are you serious?!” Barbara gasped. “First edition! Like, the original script before they rewrote the scene where Belle met Edward because the context was considered inappropriate at the time it was first published?”

“Wait a second…,” Lotte mumbled, quickly flipping through the pages. “Here it is! It’s…yes…yes…it is the original script! And look at this!” She cried, flipping all the way back to the cover where a loopy scrawl was written. “It’s even autographed by the author, Annabel Crème!”

“This – is – _amazing!_ ” Barbara squealed. “I can’t believe this was just collecting dust in a moldy magic shop! This is practically a national reassure! It belongs in a museum!”

“You’re a fan of Night Fall, too?!” Lotte gasped excitedly.

“How could I not be?!” Barbara practically squealed. “It’s a cultural phenomenon that defies age and genre! I’ve read all three hundred and sixty-five volumes three times!”

“I’ve just started my fourth read through,” Lotte proclaimed proudly.

“Nice,” Barbara complimented, high-fiving her fellow Night Fall enthusiast. “What’s your favorite book of the series?”

“Well, obviously, it has to be volume 363 – “ Lotte said with a condescending tone.

“The one where Edgar lends Arthur his shoehorn!” Barbara interjected excitedly. “That’s the one where Edgar hands over the shoehorn with his left hand. His clan believes the left hand is a symbol of life. And he handed him the shoehorn he received from his father with his left hand! That means – “

“He’s essentially putting his life in Arthur’s hands!” Lotte finished enthusiastically. “I thought I was the only one who realized that!”

“I mean, it’s pretty obvious to any _true_ Night Fall fan,” said Barbara. “I’ve been trying to explain this to Diana and Hannah, but all I ever get is blank stares – “

“Like Akko in Magical Linguistics?” Lotte offered.

“Exactly!” said Barbara. The pair of them shared a laugh, earning the stares of passing customers wondering why a couple of high school girls were sitting on the dirty floor. “You know, you’re all right, Jansson.”

“And you’re different than what I was expecting,” said Lotte brightly. “I mean, not too different. You’re still kind of a bully to Akko and you’re a little bit of a selfish brat….”

“Eh, you’re not wrong,” said Barbara, shrugging nonchalantly. She grabbed one end of the book and leaned in close. “You wanna read this together? We could take turns being Arthur.”

“Sure,” Lotte answered, smiling.

The pair of them leaned back against the shelves and started to read the old novel out loud, their jobs completely forgotten.

* * *

The silence of the back room was suffocating; Hannah was on the verge of ripping her own teeth out just to dispel the gloomy atmosphere her work partner was giving off.

She and Sucy spent the last hour attempting to organize the room – emphasis on ‘ _attempting_.’ They had agreed to divide the room in half and do whatever they wanted. It was starkly clear that they both had different ideas of what organizing meant.

Hannah had started off by arranging everything into three different categories: Magical items, non-magical items, and trash. Things from broken wands and cracked crystal balls were obviously tossed into the rubbish bin and books like “One Thousand and One Magical Remedies” were carelessly tossed in the growing magic item pile. Occasionally she would come across something like an old Cinderella Magic Set or a book on dragon taming, and the magma-witch would stealthily stow them away in her school bag. She deserved a little something for being stuck in this rundown excuse for a store, and It’s not like the proprietor was going to notice they were missing underneath the mountain of garbage he already has.

Sucy obviously noticed what she was doing, but couldn’t care less about what she took. Mostly because she was busy taking stuff for herself.

The mushroom lover didn’t have a complicated system of organizing things like Hannah did. Whenever she picked up an item and checked it off the list, she would just toss it over her shoulder, uncaring if it smashed on the floor or not. It was only when she came across something that piqued her interest – typically something related to poison – that she would give the items her full consideration. Things like cockatrice feathers, scorpion venom, and basilisk fangs found themselves disappearing into the billowing openings of Sucy’s sleeves, never to be seen again.

After a long period of uncomfortable silence, Hannah broke it with an exasperated groan.

“Ugh, this is the worst job ever!” she complained.

“Don’t care,” said Sucy blandly.

“I could be working at a nice, cozy bookstore meeting cute, scholarly boys and girls,” said Hannah, pouting.

“Still don’t care.”

“But instead, I’m stuck working in this dump all day,” Hannah grumbled, kicking something that looked like a broken watering can.

“You don’t seem to understand this ‘I don’t care’ concept,” said Sucy, rolling her one visible eye.

“You know this is all because of your friend Akko’s fault, right?” Hannah huffed.

“Hey!” Sucy final snapped, rounding on the brunette. “Don’t ever call me her friend!”

“That’s the part that offends you?” asked Hannah, sweatdropping.

“Anyway, there’s no point in complaining,” said Sucy in her usual dry tone, turning back to her junk pile. “If Diana hadn’t found a middle ground, Akko would just annoy us until she gets what she wants. It could be worse. We could be running in the summer sun chasing after gnomes.”

Hannah made a disgusted expression and said, “Ugh, I guess you got a point. Still, I wanna do something to get back at that brat. Maybe I could put hot coals in her seat during classes. She’ll be so embarrassed when she’s hopping around with her butt on fire – “

“Akko doesn’t get embarrassed that easily,” Sucy commented, drawing a quirked brow from Hannah. “She does things that would embarrass _normal_ people without batting an eye. You were at the entrance exams with her, right? Anyone else would’ve been laughed out of school for how bad she did. She’s too thick-skinned.”

“Guess you got a point,” said Hannah disappointedly.

“If you really want to get back at her,” Sucy said enticingly, “I’m working on an experimental transmogrifying potion I picked up at Hexside. You could pour it in her morning juice and turn her into a mouse or a frog. It’d be fun watching her scurry around the school trying not to get stepped on by the janitor goblins.”

“You know she’s your guildmate, right?” Hannah remarked.

“I prefer to think of her as my personal Guinea pig,” said Sucy without missing a beat.

“…You are creepy, demented, and a threat to society,” Hannah commented, but was grinning nevertheless. “But you have your cool points. Hey, what if we drop her in the field and let the school birds out of the aviary?”

“…Why have we never hanged out before?” said Sucy with a wicked chuckle. As she shoved the latest pile of junk out of her way, the poison witch perked up when she found a trap door in the floor. “Hey, what’s this?”

“What?” asked Hannah curiously, leaning over for a better view. “Looks like it leads to a basement.”

“Think he’s got anything worth stealing down there?” asked Sucy, not even trying to hide her sinister plot.

“Didn't the guy who owns the store mention something about a Manticore down there?” Hannah hummed, touching her chin thoughtfully. “Maybe we shouldn’t open th – “

“Too late,” Sucy interrupted, standing next to the open basement door.

Hannah stood there, jaw slack and speechless, as a large stinger slowly slithered out….

* * *

Ever the diligent witch, Diana was writing down the day’s sales for when the proprietor returned (Akko attributed it as her “OCD complex.”) Akko, on the other hand, had the misfortune of getting one of those stereotypical customers who liked to make unnecessarily long and complex coffee orders ( _Quad long shot grande in a venti cup half calf double cupped no sleeve salted caramel mocha latte with 2 pumps of vanilla substitute 2 pumps of white chocolate mocha for mocha and substitute 2 pumps of hazelnut for toffee nut half whole milk and half breve with no whipped cream extra hot extra foam extra caramel drizzle extra salt add a scoop of vanilla bean powder with light ice well stirred._ )

Diana didn’t even bat an eye when her girlfriend literally kicked the customer to the curb.

“ _Mou, Dianaaaa_ , are we done yet?” Akko complained, plopping down at her spot on the counter.

“It’s only been two hours, Akko,” said Diana, unperturbed. “Just hold out a little longer.”

“Ugh, I’m never working in customer service again,” Akko grumbled. The bell on the door jungled and the Japanese called reflexively, “ _Irasshaimase!_ ”

“No one understands you,” Diana pointed out bluntly.

“Welcome!” Akko corrected, her eyes glancing over at the new customer. Her eyebrows flew up in surprise, disappearing into her hairline. “Hey, Diana, check it out. It’s a maid.”

Diana looked up from her accounting and looked around in the general direction of her girlfriend’s line of sight. Diana was equally astonished to see a maid walking into to a hole-in-the-wall store like the Last Wednesday Society, especially with the way she was dressed. All the maids at the Cavendish Mansion wore rather plain and uninspiring uniforms, but this maid seemed to have customized hers centered around a rose theme. And with her pale hair coloring and one visible red eye, Diana assumed she was foreign.

“You don’t see that every day,” Akko commented interestingly.

“I do,” Diana remarked, smirking.

“Well, not everyone is born super rich,” Akko grumbled, leering at her girlfriend out of the corner of her eye.

“You should try it some time,” said Diana teasingly with her signature hair flip. “It’s so much fun.”

“Har, har, you’re _sooo_ funny,” said Akko sarcastically.

The mysterious maid caught sight of the counter and approached them, her steps perfectly spaced and her hands folded in front of her. Diana straightened up and made herself presentable; a habit she unconsciously picked up from her life at the Cavendish Mansion.

“Welcome to the Last Wednesday Society,” Diana greeted politely. “Can I help you?”

“Yes, I am here to pick up an order for my master,” said the maid, her voice soft and mysteriously alluring.

“Can I get a name, please?” Diana requested.

“Otto Apocalypse,” the maid answered immediately.

There was a peculiar moment where Akko noticed Diana pause with a questionable look. But she seemed to brush it aside as she bended down behind the counter and retrieved a well-worn book. The covered was extremely faded and several of the silver letters were people off so that it could only be read as, “ **_he L_g_ _nd o_ t_e sho_ _ i _g St_r.** ”

“Here you go, ma’am,” Diana offered the book to the maid. “We’re sorry it’s not in better condition.”

“That’s quite all right,” said the maid, holding the book against her breast protectively and bow politely. “Thank you for your service. Have a good day.”

“Come back soon!” Akko called as the maid exited the building. “Or not. I don’t really care. Hey, Diana, what do you think she – Diana?” Akko tilted her head curiously, noticing the thoughtfully look on her lover’s face. “Hello, Earth to Diana! You still in there?”

“Hmm…what was it again?” Diana mumbled to herself. “It’s on the tip of my tongue.”

“You wanna share with the class, Cavendish?” asked Akko, leaning into Diana’s view.

“Sorry, Akko, I was just thinking,” Diana apologized, shaking her head.

“About?” Akko questioned.

“The name of that maid’s master: Otto Apocalypse,” said Diana, touching her chin. “I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before – “

But before the Cavendish heir could think on the matter further, the door to the backroom suddenly burst open; Diana and Akko yelped and tackled each other to the floor. The pair cautiously peeked over the counter and their jaws quickly hit the ground.

A creature with the body of a lion, the wings of a bat, and the tail of a scorpion – even Akko could identify it as a Manticore. And even more stupefying was Hannah clinging to its stinger in desperation while Sucy was limp in the creature’s jaws. For one terrifying moment, Akko thought she was dead. At least until she started cackling slowly with a look of ecstasy on her face.

“What in the name of the Nine Olde Witches have you done?!” Diana screamed shrilly.

“Don’t blame me!” Hannah cried. “It was the mushroom addicts fault! Blame her!”

“Should we help them?” Akko asked her girlfriend.

“What kind of question is that?!” yelled Diana. “Of course, we’re going to help them!”

“Take your time,” said Sucy nonchalantly.

The Manticore reared up and jumped across the store, knocking over several shelves and sending the few customers running out of there, screaming. Barbara and Lotte, who were halfway through their mutual reading of Night Fall, looked up as the Manticore came down on them and scrambled out of the way in opposite directions. The Manticore shook its head wildly like a dog with a chew toy; Sucy cackled delightfully as her body flailed around every which way. Barbara summoned her grimoire, making the temperature in the store plummet, until the beast managed to shake off Hannah and toss the girl at her best friend. Diana and Akko leaped over the counter…then immediately jumped over as the Manticore batted one of the shelves over their heads. The whole time, Lotte was trying to make herself as small as possible in the corner of the café.

That’s when the proprietor walked through the door, saying, “Hey, girls, I’m back! You mind helping with – “

The portly man took one look at the chaotic scene – the witches battling the vicious manticore – then calmly backed out and continued walking down the road, whistling innocently.

“Don’t worry, everybody, I’ve got this!” Akko shouted, summoning the Shiny Rod as she leapt over the counter for a third time. The staff converted into its bow form and the young witch pulled the string. “ ** _Light Magic!_** ”

“No, Akko, not inside!” Diana shrieked.

“ ** _SHINY ARC!_** ”

**_BOOOOOOM_ **

* * *

Professor Finnelan hummed a pleasant tune under her breath as she wrote down the latest report to the school ledger. The three Gray Gienah student had come back from their job with overwhelming success, bringing with them a huge sum of funds that would go a long way toward financing the school and boosting their already incredible reputation.

Her happy mood instantly turned sour as Atsuko Kagari and her group walked through the double doors.

Professor looked up from the records as they approached her desk, paused, then did a doubletake to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. Akko, Diana, and the others were covered in scratches and bandages, their uniforms torn in several areas. Hannah and Barbara were smoking for some reason. Sucy was covered from head-to-toe in slime, smiling from ear-to-ear. And Diana was holding a large ice pack on her head while pulling on Akko’s ear; the Japanese witch pressing a cartoonishly large steak to her left eye.

“…it did not go well,” Diana explained simply.

“Here’s the bill,” said Lotte, unfurling a lengthy roll of paper on Finnelan’s desk.

And that’s the story of how Anne Finnelan developed her eye twitch every time Akko was around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp, ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between, this is the first chapter done by my own hands.
> 
> This is more of a filler chapter than anything related to the actual plot. I wanted to establish a good foundation for which the relationships between Akko and Diana’s teams can build off of. Having Hannah and Barbara be consistent bullies can become monotonous very fast and create a difficult relationship with Diana as Akko’s girlfriend, so I plan to remedy that in the near future. Plus, I love the dynamic with Lotte and Barbara gushing over Night Fall and Sucy and Hannah conspiring to make Akko’s life miserable. 🤣


	9. Royal Regulus

Cape Town was always a lovely place to visit any time of the year if you were ever in Africa with its crystal-clear beaches and famous landmarks like Table Mountain and the City Bowl. Sadly, the Magic Empress had little time for touring thanks to Amelie’s strict scheduling.

Instead, she found herself hundreds of miles above the city on a series of floating islands that served as the foundation for one of the Four Magica Academia: The Mystacor Institute of Sorcery.

According to ancient legend, The Nine Olde Witches were gifted with a special ore from a distant land called Jirga Para Lao that allowed one to manipulate the forces of gravity. With this ore, they broke off a huge piece of the land – explaining the creation of the City Bowl – and floated it near the stratosphere, out of the reach of any who would wish them harm. The only way to reach Mystacor was by leaping off a certain plateau and falling onto a sort of hidden elevator, which naturally deterred any intruders.

They the Magic Empress and her secretary stepped off the floating platform onto the main island, they were greeted by two men. The first was a happy and boisterous man with disheveled and graying dark hair and beard with visible scarring on his shoulders. The one dragging his feet behind the happy-go-luck man looked – how do I put this nicely – a rerally creepy vampire his face gaunt and skull-like with glowing red eyes. The first man held out his arms in a welcome gesture while the second looked like he would rather be anywhere but here.

“Welcome, old friend, it is good to see you again!” the first man yelled jubilantly. He pulled the Magic Empress into a powerful bear hug, lifting her off the ground. The Empress didn’t seem to mind, considering she was laughing. “It’s been too long! I have missed you terribly.”

“We went out for drinks with Holbrooke, Bump, and Theresa two weeks ago, Micah,” said the Magic Empress, laughing.

“I can confirm that – I had to play chaperone for you all,” said Amelie drying, pushing up her glasses.

“Well, it gets lonely when all the other teachers are a bunch of boring old stiffs,” said Micah, pouting like an overgrown child. “I’ve tried taking out Hordak to let loose, but he’s a bigger stick in the mud than they are. You remember, Hordak, don’t you?” he asked, gesturing to the vampire man.

“Hey, Hordak,” said the Magic Empress, waving brightly. “Long time, no see. How’ve you been?”

“I loath you with every fiber of my being,” Hordak said monotonously.

“Never change, Hordak,” the Magic Empress chuckled, shaking her head. “Never change.”

“Yes, well, if we’re all done with the pleasantries,” said Amelia, whipping out her clipboard of doom! Micah and the Empress whined. “We’ve been receiving an unusually large number of disturbing reports from the school staff starting since last year.”

“What kind of reports?” asked Micah curiously.

“Well, if these documents are to be trusted,” said Amelia, leafing through the papers, “the Mystacor Institute student body has been divided into two groups, aptly naming themselves the Horde and the Princess Alliance – “

“The Horde sounds cool, but the Princess Alliance is so…cringy,” the Magic Empress commented.

“Both factions have been involved in a number of altercations,” Amelie pressed on, ignoring the Empress. “Causing thousands of coins worth of property damage – both public and private – as well as inciting no less than seventeen school-wide brawls. The largest one took the teachers _fourteen hours_ to settle. Mind explaining this, Micah.”

“Oh, that,” said Micah, waving nonchalantly. “Yeah, they’re blowing it completely out of proportion. The leaders of both sides – Adora and Catra – had some kind of fight; I have no idea what it’s about. Now they’re both going at each other’s throats, but everyone knows they’re pining for one another, but don’t know how to admit it to the other.”

“So the whole school is at war because a couple of gay idiots are too stupid to share their feelings?” the Magic Empress summarized.

“Mmm, pretty much, yeah,” Micah hummed. “But don’t worry about it. They haven’t done any lasting damage yet – “

“DAD!!” A high-pitched voice screeched across the school, making everyone wince. “MOM GOT SUCKED INTO ANOTHER INTERDIMENSIONAL WORMHOLE AGAIN!”

Amelie and the Magic Empress gave Micah a couple of blank stares; the sorcerer chuckled sheepishly and said, “I…should go check on that. Nothing to worry about. It’s pretty much routine around here….” On that note, he spun around on his heel and sprinted to the main building, screaming, “WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU KIDS ABOUT RIPPING HOLES IN THE FABRIC OF REALITY!”

“ENTRAPTA DID IT!”

“I DID!” A nasally voice joined, snorting with crazed laughter.

“Prime, take me away,” Hordak groaned into his hands.

“…It’s a miracle both Hexside and Mystacor are still standing,” Amelie commented, jotting something down on her clipboard.

“Kids this generation are a lot tougher than they were when I was a student,” said the Magic Empress, chortling. “Speaking of which, about Luna Nova – “

“First, let’s finish the inspection here,” said Amelie shortly, cutting the Empress off. “Then we will make our way over to St. Freya University in China. Don’t give me that look – “ She knew the Empress was pouting without looking up from her clipboard. “If we had gone to Luna Nova first, you would be too distracted with that Seven-Star Grimoire girl to do your work properly. Instead of complaining, think of Luna Nova as a reward for a job well done.”

“Ugh, I hate it when you’re right,” the Magic Empress groaned. “All right, all right, I’ll do things properly. I’m sure nothing _too_ interesting is happening right now anyway.”

* * *

It was a perfectly normal and uneventful day at Luna Nova Academy…until an unexplainable explosion blew off the top of the nearby Luna Nova tower. Emerging from the black plumes that arose from the tower was a hulking red-and-black scaled dragon, flapping its thirty-foot wings as it soared over the academy. Students who were on the grounds at the time raced back to the safety of the school, shrieking with panic, while the faculty rushed divert the imminent disaster.

And in the midst of this chaos, almost no one noticed Akko, Lotte, and Sucy clinging to the dragon’s spinal spikes.

“Why would you release the Ancient Dragon from it’s sarcophagus?!” Lotte yelled up at Akko.

“It seems like a good idea at the time!” Akko cried.

“How is breaking a five-thousand-year-old seal and setting loose a magic eating dragon in a magic school ever a good idea?!” Lotte shrieked shrilly.

“I’m literally just along for the ride,” Sucy mumbled to no one in particular.

But while the school grounds transformed into a raging battle zone just outside the cafeteria windows, Diana was enjoying a soothing cup of chamomile tea. The heir to the Cavendish House sipped her tea delicately just like her etiquette teachers grinded into her brain, set it down on its saucer, and turned the page of Night Fall novel Barbara had given her. Despite all the flack she gave the dark-haired girl, Diana found the book surprisingly interesting, if a little cliché and overexaggerated in many parts. It was shaping up to be a calm afternoon – one she desperately needed after the disaster yesterday.

“Ah, finally, a chance to relax,” Diana sighed pleasantly. “I haven’t had many moments to myself since starting at Luna Nova. No thanks to Akko.” She chuckled softly and turned the page. “But now is my ‘Me Time.’ No Akko, no monsters, no property damage, and no – “

As the wall to her right exploded, sending her table and tea flying across the room, Diana remained rooted in her seat with a leveled stare and a tight lip. She was undisturbed by the dragon head that was halfway inside the cafeteria, nor was she surprised to see her girlfriend dangling from its horn by the back of her tunic. Akko shook the daze for her eyes when she noticed Diana sitting a few feet away.

“Diana, you gotta help us!” Akko cried desperately. “I accidentally – “

“On purpose!” Sucy voice called from the other side of the wall.

“let loose a magic-eating dragon and it’s gonna – **_WHOA!_** ”

The dragon pulled its head back outside with Akko still hanging from its horn. Diana heard the sound of wingbeats and saw Professors Finnelan, Nelson, Pisces, and Ursula run past the hole. Diana sighed and closed her book with a snap.

“Well, that was fun while it lasted,” she said dryly.

The Cavendish heir rose from her seat, crossed the cafeteria, stepping over the debris, and walked out without giving any attention to her reckless girlfriend’s pleas for help.

The school corridors were empty; no doubt everyone had run back to the safety of their other dimensional dormitories. Diana strolled through the halls around the central courtyard and walked through the double doors of the Luna Nova library, not batting an eye when a massive fireball engulfed the courtyard behind her.

Much like the rest of the school, the library was empty, not that it mattered to Diana because she wasn’t here to study. The Cavendish heir followed the right-side wall to a small, almost noticeable corner in the autobiography section. Very few students ever came around this part of the library, which made it the perfect place for hiding something. Diana traced her fingers along the spines of the dusty volumes until they stopped on a thin book labeled “ **The Little King** ” and pulled it from the shelf. A soft _click_ echoed in the empty library. Diana took a step back as the bookshelf slid sideways behind the wall, revealing an iron door with large sapphire in the middle shaped like a lantern.

“No matter how many times I see it, the whole hidden door thing is still tacky,” Diana commented quietly.

Nevertheless, Diana reached into her pocket and pulled out a golden key encrusted with a sapphire lantern. She inserted it into the keyhole and turned it would a loud rumble. The door opened inward and opened to a long tunnel of ethereal green light. Diana calmly stepped through –

* * *

And stepped cautiously on the craggy ground of the Regulus Mines.

Diana often wondered why the best guild in Luna Nova would put their dormitory in the crappiest spot. Amanda O’Neill liked to brag that Jade Mimosa’s dorm was in a lush forest and she heard from several Purple Pollux students that they had a mechanical labyrinth. Diana can only count the number of times she nearly broke her ankle because she accidentally stepped in a pothole, or landed on her face because she tripped over a loose rock. The first week taught her to always be mindful of where she was stepping.

Thankfully, she didn’t have far to walk until she made it to Royal Regulus’s steel castle. She pushed through the heavy iron doors, relieved to be walking on the even tiled floor. She was about to close the door when –

“Hey, Diana, hold that for us, will you?!”

Diana stopped on command and turned around. Two older students garbed in the Royal Regulus cloaks were walking her way. One was the wavy-haired third-year from America, Eliza Bless, and the other was the second-year Spanish student with her brunette hair tied in a long ponytail, Priscilla Varias. Diana didn’t know they personally other than a few exchanges during dinner hours and occasional encounters in the halls, but she heard that Eliza was sort of a mentor to Priscilla and one other student.

“Good afternoon, Miss Bless, Miss Varias,” Diana greeted them politely.

“You know you don’t have to act so formal with us,” Eliza waved awkwardly. “We’re in the same guild and only a couple years older than you.”

“Forgive me," said Diana, scratching her cheek sheepishly. “I’m still getting used to the idea of talking to other people casually. I was always told to act like a ‘proper young lady’ back home.”

“Ah, the plight of a rich girl,” said Eliza jokingly with a dramatic swoon. “Oh, woe is you.”

Diana giggled behind her hand. One of the things she learned quickly in the Royal Regulus is that everyone was treated as equals regardless of class year or background. It was an unspoken rule that anyone who was good enough to be chosen by Croix was automatically worthy of respecting. That’s why Akko was often a topic of awe among her guildmates despite being a commoner and joining Crimson Ankaa. Some even thought she was cool after the Sabball game against Jade Mimosa.

“We’re on our way to Job Request Hall,” Priscilla said with a hopeful tone. “Would you like to come with us.”

“Er, not feeling up for it,” said Diana, sweatdropping. “After the incident last week….”

“Oof! Yeah, I heard about that,” said Eliza, wincing sympathetically. “Isabelle said she saw Professor Croix hosting a funeral for her paycheck.”

“I’ll be sure to reimburse her for that,” Diana chuckled nervously.

“Well, then, I guess it’s just the three of us today,” Priscilla commented, though slightly disappointed.

“The three of you?” Diana repeated curiously.

Eliza rolled her eyes in an amused sort of way and reached into her pocket. She pulled out something that looked like a doll with dark-gray pigtails. But it wasn’t a doll. It was alive, and snoring very loudly for something so small. Diana expected no less from second-year Alice Little.

“I see Miss Little is using her size magic to hitch free rides again,” commented Diana.

“Oh, don’t worry, there’s a soap bucket out there with her name on it,” said Eliza with a playful smirk. She stuffed the tiny Alice back in her pocket. “So if you’re not going out on a job, what’re you doing today?”

“Well, first, I thought I would go to the dining hall for a quick bite to eat since Akko destroyed the cafeteria…again,” Diana exhaled an exasperated sigh. Priscilla looked bewildered; Eliza was amused. “Then I thought I would check in on Hannah and Barbara and see if they wanted to practice for Tuesday’s practical exam.”

“I think I saw them out in the courtyard with Avery and Mary,” Priscilla offered. “But watch out for Elizabeth. I saw her wandering the halls looking for you.”

“Ugh, that girl just doesn’t know when to quit,” Diana groaned. “She knows that I already have a girlfriend.”

“She’s persistent; you should be flattered,” said Eliza. Diana gave her a blank stare. “Well, we oughta get going before the Amber Canopus crowd takes all the good jobs.”

“Have a good day, Diana!” Priscilla briefly waved before chasing her senior out the door.

Diana bid them farewell before moving to the steel double doors on the right side of the entrance hall, entering the dorm’s dining hall.

Much like the Crimson Ankaa’s dorm, half the hall was occupied by six long tables that lined up in two rows end-to-end and a dozen chairs for each side – a considerable waste in Diana’s opinion since there was little more than a dozen students. The rest of the hall was taken up by an open kitchen. But the biggest difference between the two guilds was that Royal Regulus’s tables were newer and had matching chairs with comfortable seat cushions. The kitchen was also outfitted with the latest models of every cooking appliance possible: refrigerator, microwave, oven – you name it. Not that it did Diana any good since she was technologically inept. She could recite a one hundred verse spell written in dragon script from memory, but she can’t figure how to work the coffeemaker.

That was another thing that Diana had to learn the hard way.

Growing up in a privileged household with dozens of servants for every occasion, Diana will admit that she was a bit pampered and had grown used to being cared for. So when she learned that students take care of the dorms themselves, she was completely thrown.

No more maids cleaning up after her, no more personal chefs, and no more butlers bringing her what she asked. She had to do everything herself and none of her seniors were going to help her. They said it was a lesson in independence, but Diana privately thought they just liked to watch her squirm. The students also had a schedule for who would cook for the rest of the dorm, but Diana was the only one who required “adult supervision” after she somehow burned a pot of water and nearly set fire to the whole dorm.

There were other students already in the dining hall when Diana entered.

One was Isabelle Seam – a gentle third-year with brunette hair tied in a loose braid over her left shoulder. She was sitting at one of the tables with a small pile of handstitched dolls on her left side and was in the process of making another. That girl could work wonders with a needle, Diana thought.

The other was Aira Prithvi – a dark-skinned third-year hailing from India with curly red hair held back by a headband. She was hunched over the oven, vigorously stir some type of red goop in a pot with a happy hum. Diana grimaced; Aira’s cooking was a bit…outrageous compared to most.

Isabelle looked up from her needlework when the doors creak and greeted Diana with a friendly wave, saying, “Hey, Diana. I thought you would be in the cafeteria for your afternoon tea.”

“I was, until a dragon smashed through the wall and ruined a perfectly good cup of chamomile,” Diana explained with an exaggerated sigh. British folk and their tea.

“Akko again?” Isabelle asked with a sympathetic smile, going back to her needlework.

“Can you think of anyone else who could cause that much property damage in a single afternoon?” Diana commented, shaking her head exasperatedly, but had the smallest of smiles on her lips.

Aira, who was listening in on their conversation, threw her head back with a booming laugh.

“That Kagari girl is a riot!” she guffawed. “Seriously, I wish she had picked Royal Regulus as her guild. Just think of all the wacky antics we would get up to?”

“I don’t think Professor Croix’s wallet could survive that level of chaos,” Diana remarked, earning another booming laugh from her senior.

“True enough!” Aira chortled. She stirred her pot of gelatinous red goop a few times, then peeked over her shoulder and asked, “Hey, you still hungry? I was just cooking up a nice hot bowl of stew.”

“That’s supposed to be stew?” asked Diana awkwardly. She made a disgusted face as the Indian girl stretched the so-called ‘stew’ a good two feet before it snapped back into the pot. “Do I even want to know what you used for the ingredients?”

“You really don’t,” said Isabelle, shaking her head.

“Aw, come on, you bunch of babies, it’s not that bad,” Aira claimed, rolling her eyes at them. “It’s just a bunch of red slimes I found in the northeastern caverns. Really, you’re making a big deal over no – “

Aira’s ‘stew’ suddenly jumped out of the pot the instant she looked away and attached itself to the Indian girl’s face like a leech. Diana and Isabelle watched her grab a handful of the red goop and tried to pry it off, only to stretch the material. Neither of them offered their assistance as she tripped over her own feet and fell behind the kitchen island.

They heard some loud grunting and the squelching of slime goop for several moments before Aira rose from behind the counter again. She successfully ripped the ‘stew’ off her face, slapped it on the ground, and clenched her right fist in the air above her head. Aira’s Grimoire (a dirty-brown tome with five gray stars) glowed with magical power and fabricated a gigantic fist made of stone around her hand. Aira shouted with an outrageous battle cry as she bashed the slime repeatedly, splattering red goop all over the walls and herself. After twenty hits or so, the Indian girl stood up, panting, and turned around to Diana and Isabelle, who had not moved once during the entire exchange.

“It needs a little more salt,” Aira said nonchalantly.

“Well, as…lovely as that sounds,” Diana said hesitantly, quietly moving around to the refrigerator and retrieving a wrapped sandwich from inside. “I think I’ll just have one of Miss Buckland’s sandwiches she made yesterday.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing,” said Aira, giving the slime another punch when it started moving.

“I think I do,” Diana remarked, sweatdropping. “If either of you need me, I’ll be in the courtyard – “

“If you’re heading that way, you’ll be passing the greenhouse,” said Isabelle, holding up her completed doll. “Think you can drop these off to Blair while you’re there. They’re made to ensure healthy plant growth.”

Diana walked over to the table and picked up one of the dolls. They were cute and chibi-like similar to the ones Akko liked to show off as a kid. They had matched green bodies, but their heads were a different type of flower – rose, daffodils, violets, etc – with smiley faces on them. Diana smiling behind her hand. How can anything be so adorable?

“I’ll be sure to give them to her,” said Diana, scooping the small pile in her arms.

“Thanks, Diana,” said Isabelle gratefully.

Aira didn’t say anything when Diana walked out; she was too busy wrestling her ‘stew’ back in the pot.

Diana crossed the entrance hall and walked around the left corridor headed to the eastern wing of the castle. After a short three-minute walk, Diana came to a pair of ornate doors made of colorful stained glass creating a picture of a tree surrounded by flowers – a drastic contrast to the cold and colorless steel walls around it. She carefully shifted the dolls to one arm and turned the handle with her free hand, stepping inside.

Diana shielded her eyes from the sudden shift in brightness, taking a moment to adjust. The indoor greenhouse was always unbearably bright thanks to the sun crystals that hanged from the ceiling, creating artificial sunlight. But once you got past that, there was a bountiful array of colorful flowers lined up in rows on either side of the cobblestone path, organized by color that stretched like the rainbow. Behind the plants were rows of fruit-bearing trees from apples to oranges, to cherries, to banana so the guild would always have access to fresh produce.

In the heart of the greenhouse was an old, twisted, and withered tree. It was unimpressive compared to the rest of the greenhouse, and was rather gloomy in some eyes, but it was the most important tree in the whole school. The Jennifer Memorial Tree – the burial site of Luna Nova’s first student and the founder of Royal Regulus, Jennifer. It was under the shade of this tree that Diana found her target.

Second-year Blair Burkitts was an Italian girl with long blonde hair stylized into two “princess curls” like the character’s in Akko’s anime. Diana wouldn’t call her a ‘gold digger’ per se, but her guildmates often said Blair put heavy emphasis towards money and aristocrats in all her relationships. It’s no wonder the blonde had instantly stricken up a friendship with Diana on her first day.

For some reason, Blair was cutting a piece of bark off the Jennifer Memorial Tree with a steak knife when Diana walked up behind her.

“This should be good enough, right?” Blair muttered loudly to herself, completely unaware of Diana’s presence. “No one would notice if I take just a piece…. But maybe a bigger one will fetch a better price – “

“Are you trying to sell off a piece of the memorial tree?” Diana inquired loudly. Blair jumped up, screeching like a frightened cat, and flipped around to the Cavendish air with an unease smile, hiding the wood chip behind her back.

“Diana! Hi!” Blair greeted in a sugary sweet tone. “What brings you here?!”

“…You’re actually going to sell a piece of the Jennifer Memorial Tree, aren’t you?” Diana went straight to the point.

“ _Whaaaaat_? _Noooo_!” Blair yelped exaggeratedly. “What would give you a crazy idea like that?!”

That’s when the piece of bark slipped out of Blair’s hair, falling on the ground in plain view. Diana glanced at the wood chip, then back at Blair. The blonde witch was still smiling while not so subtly kicking the piece of bark into the bushes.

“So, what can I help you with?” asked Blair, pretending like nothing happened.

Diana shook her head, holding out the handstitched dolls, saying, “Miss Seam wanted me to give you these. Said they’re supposed to ensure healthy plant growth.”

“Oh, yes, I was waiting for these!” Blair shouted excitedly. She picked up one from the pile and looking it over. “Belle’s doll magic is always so cute. I wish I had magic like hers.” That being said, she summoned her Grimoire (a light-brown book with dark-brown stars) and chanted, “ **Wood Magic: Willowing Roots.** ”

Diana took a step back in momentary surprise when several coils of tree roots sprouted from all sides, slithering like wooden snakes. Each root delicately plucked the dols from Diana’s arms one by one and raised themselves near the greenhouse ceiling. When they were at a certain height, the dolls began to glow and release a shower of golden particles on the flowers beneath them. The flowers glimmered and almost seemed to dance in an unseen breeze while the plants that had yet to bud bloomed to life.

Blair knelt down to a newly blossomed lily, gently caressing its petals, and said, “There you go, little ones. Soak up that nice juicy magic and become big and strong.”

Diana smiled warmly. Greed aside, Blair was a good girl like anybody else.

But when a shadow was suddenly cast overhead, Diana stared up and found herself staring at the underside of a large, pitch-black umbrella. Then she heard the smooth, affectionate tone of “What a pleasant surprise to see you here, _draga mea_ ” and exhaled an exasperated sigh.

Diana reluctantly turned around, confronting third-year Elizabeth Dracul, a Romanian witch with short, wavy hair the color of blood and fair skin even paler than Diana’s. She gave Diana a charming smile, her pointed fangs flashing and the leather wings on either side of her head twitching excitedly.

Oh, did I mention she’s a vampire?

The Cavendish heir groaned as the vampire-witch leaned forward, coming within a foot of Diana’s personal space; she could feel Elizabeth’s breath on her skin, which was cold as ice.

“You’ve been avoiding me, _draga mea,_ ” said Elizabeth with a playful pout. “One might get the impression that you don’t like me.”

“That what I was going for,” said Diana bluntly.

“Ouch! You wound me!” said Elizabeth, clutching her chest dramatically. “Have I not been courteous and kind since the moment out paths crossed? When our destinies were intertwined – “

“We bumped into each other in the hallway on the way to breakfast,” said Diana dryly.

“Same thing,” said Elizabeth flippantly. “Have you given anymore thought about becoming my consort?”

“My answer remains the same: No,” Diana stated firmly. “My heart belongs to Atsuko Kagari.”

“Yeah, I admit, she’s a bit of a cutie,” said Elizabeth, nodding appreciatively; Diana felt her eye twitch. “Those blood-red eyes are quite mesmerizing. I mean, not like mine, of course, but they are fetching. Sadly, she’s done a terrible job of taking care of that amazingly athletic body of hers. Full of scars of recklessness. Nothing like your perfectly flawless skin, _draga mae_.” She takes Diana’s hand into her own, bring it to her lips. “So smooth…so tender…it makes me want to….”

Whatever plans she were interrupted when Diana sharply pulled her hand back and slapped the umbrella out of Elizabeth’s hands.

Pop quiz: what happens to a vampire standing underneath a bunch of sun crystals. The answer: a very bad case of sunburn.

Vampires didn’t spontaneously combust and die like in Hollywood movies, but their skin was extremely photosensitive that they burned almost instantly from any contact with sunlight. And without the cover of her umbrella, Elizabeth’s pale skin turned blistering-red in two-point-six seconds; steam coming of her like sizzling bacon. The Romanian witch shrieked, fell down on the floor, and started rolling around like she was trying to put herself out. Diana had no sympathy for the vampire’s plight and walked out of the greenhouse while Blair quickly recovered Elizabeth’s umbrella, returning her under the safety of its shade.

The exhausted and blistering Elizabeth raised her head off the ground, chuckling weakly, and said, “She’s as ruthless as she is beautiful. Truly worthy of being my consort.”

…Diana fired a beam of light to knock the umbrella out of Blair’s hand and walked away to Elizabeth’s bloodcurdling screams.

After turning the corner from the greenhouse, it was just a quick walk down the corridor to the courtyard in the heart of the steel castle. Diana still had some traumatic flashbacks about the place from her initiation. She still found it hard to believe that one student was able to defeat the five of the at once – that she could best Diana’s Six-Star Grimoire so casually with them only being apart by one year. Diana had since been practicing her magic in her spare time so that such an event would never occur twice.

Call her vein if you wish, but she was a Cavendish. And Cavendishes don’t lose!

And speak of the devil, the first thing Diana saw as she rounded the corner into the courtyard was Avery Buckland, the second-year that had dominated the freshman team. She was standing behind her younger half-sister, Mary, with her arms crossed and her brows furrowed in judgment (of course, that’s how she always looked.) The young Mary was steadying herself nervously as she summoned her Grimoire to her side, brimming with magical power. On the opposite side of the courtyard, Hannah and Barbara were posing confidently with their own Grimoires.

“C’mon, give us your best shot!” Hannah challenged with a ‘bring it on’ gesture.

“We’ll even give you the first shot!” Barbara chortled deviously.

“Don’t give her any special treatment!” Avery said firmly. “I don’t want either of you holding back against her!”

“Um, sis,” Mary said nervously, glancing over her shoulder. “Are you sure this is necessary – “

“We’re going to improve your magical strength even if it kills you!” Avery snapped; Mary squeaked like a frightened mouse. “That performance at the initiation was horrendous! I will not have a loser for a little sister!”

“I’m not a loser! And that was a week ago!” Mary cried.

Diana walked around the courtyard railing, watching the four witch’s curious performance, when she nearly stumbled into Gaëlle. The Germen girl gave no indication that she noticed Diana. Truth be told, it was hard to tell what that girl was thinking; her facial feature’s constantly neutral like Constanze. Must be a German thing.

Gaëlle had her Grimoire (a yellow tome with five silver stars) opened in the middle, pulsating with magic. A transparent screen and keyboard manifested in front of her as the German witch’s fingers practically glided across the holographic keys. This was Gaëlle’s Archive, Diana remembered. A unique spell that can convert information into magic. Diana didn’t have a full grasp of its capabilities, but Professor Croix had an overt fascination with it.

“What are they up to this time?” Diana asked Gaëlle, observing the courtyard.

The bespectacled German didn’t look up from her screen and replied in a short tone, “Training. Older Buckland wants her sister to be stronger. Called England and Parker to assist.”

“I…see…,” said Diana slowly. Gaëlle frank manner was offputting at time; Diana suspected she didn’t even bother remembering anyone’s given names. “And you are…?”

“Recording,” Gaëlle said curtly. “Analyzing.”

…and that’s likely all she was going to get out of her, Diana thought. She redirected her attention to the courtyard and over to Mary. The younger Buckland girl looked anxiously over her shoulder toward her sister, who gave her a look that easily translated as “I’m not saving your butt.” Moaning under her breath, Mary summoned her Grimoire (similar to her sister’s in appearance, but with four stars instead of five.)

“ **Wind Magic: Borrum’s Breath!** ” she shouted with force.

Mary threw out her hand and blasted a horizontal tornado across the courtyard. The gale forces it produced nearly knocked Diana off her feet. The spell certainly looked powerful, but….

“ **Ice Magic: Glacial Rampart! /Magma Magic: Eruption!** ”

Hannah and Barbara moved in perfect sync. They kneeled down in the grass and slapped their opposite hands on the ground as their Grimoire’s flared up.

A wall of solid ice stretched from one side of the courtyard to the other sprang up from the ground, intercepting Mary’s spell before it could reach them. The ice wall took the full force of Mary’s hurricane and endured until the winds died pathetically. At the same time, the ground beneath Mary’s feet glowed an ominous burning-red color. She had no chance to react before a geyser of magma exploded underneath, tossing Mary into the air with a terrified cry. Diana winced sympathetically as the younger Buckland sister hit the grass with her face.

Hannah and Barbara wasted no time celebrating with high-fives and cheers.

“Hell yeah!” Hannah shouted enthusiastically. “We are unstoppable!”

“A regular dynamic duo!” Barbara exclaimed, laughing.

Mary lifted herself up to her knees, making a soft whining noise as she tenderly caressed her reddening forehead. She looked up with tears threatening to spill as Avery approached her younger sister, shaking her head disapprovingly.

“What was that?” Avery questioned, frowning. “Your magic couldn’t break through a simple defensive and you allowed them to get the drop on you. You’re never gonna make it in this guild if you keeping making stupid mistakes.”

“I’m sorry, all right,” Mary moaning, her lip quivering. “I get it; I’m not as good as you. You have a five-star and I have a four-star – “

“That’s no excuse,” Avery interrupted sharply. “The number of stars shouldn’t make any difference. A real witch would turn her weakness into a strength. You’re just not practicing hard enough.” When Mary looked downcast, Avery sighed exasperatedly. “Look, I’m not trying to be mean, all right. I just want to make sure you’re strong enough to handle things on your own. I’m not gonna be around to protect you forever.”

“I never asked you to…,” Mary mumbled, looking away.

“Yeah, well, excuse me for being concerned about my baby sister!” Avery shouted, making Mary flinch. She grabbed her sister by the arm and pulled her up. “Now no more complaining! We’re going to keep training until you can break that ice with a single spell! No food! No water! And no bathroom breaks!”

“EEEEHHHH?!?!?!” Mary screeched.

“Hmm, subjects display strange personality shifts in social interaction,” Gaëlle hummed, tapping away at her keyboard. “Is this what Asian cultures refer to as ‘tsundere’?”

Diana sweatdropped; this doesn’t get out much, she thought.

Hannah and Barbara walked around the courtyard and joined the Cavendish heir. They watched the Buckland sisters for a few moments as Avery started making her sister do push-ups for some reasons.

“I think they’re going to be busy for a while,” Barbara commented, facing Diana. “Since it’s the weekend and we’re not doing any jobs, is there anything you want to do, Diana.”

“Ooh, let’s go shopping!” Hannah suggested hopefully. “There’s this shop in downtown Blytonbury that sells neat Sabball memorabilia.”

“Your sudden interest in Sabball wouldn’t have anything top do with a certain witch from Jade mImosa, would it?” Barbara asked with a smug grin.

“…. I have no comment,” Hannah answered monotonously.

“Actually, I was thinking we should practice for our practical exams in magical self-defense class this Tuesday,” said Diana. Her response was a pair of synchronized whines, both girls leaning their heads back. She expected as much.

“Aw, come on, Diana!” Barbara complained. “It’s the weekend! Can’t we do it later?”

“Remember what happened when we procrastinated last week?” Diana retorted. “We ended up pulling an all-night cram session the day before and barely scrapped by with a B+.”

“Ugh, I hate hen you use logic against us,” said Hannah, grimacing.

“Let’s take this to my room so there will be far less distractions,” Diana suggested.

Albeit begrudgingly, Hannah and Barbara followed behind the Cavendish heir, leaving Mary to her fate as Avery sat on her younger sister’s back during her push-ups and Gaëlle just watched.

They took a short climb to the third floor and crossed two corridors until they arrived at Diana’s bedroom.

Like everything else in Royal Regulus, the student’s rooms were outrageously grandiose when compared to Crimson Ankaa. The room was four times the size of Akko’s small living space, but surprisingly still smaller than Diana’s bedroom back home. Diana had divided the room into two sections with a wall of bookcases, which were filled to the brim with history books, medical journals, textbooks – anything related to magic.

The right section served as Diana’s “bedroom” with her king-sized mattress, writing desk, and a stylish armoire that looked more expensive than the teacher’s paycheck. A handstitched Shiny Chariot plushie laid haphazardly on her bed; Diana hoped Hannah and Barbara didn’t suspect she used it as a hugging pillow for sleeping. The left section was a designated “living room” with a Regulus-blue couch and pair of loveseats around a polished coffee table. There was a small kitchenette on the side where Diana started making preparations for tea while her guildmates flopped into their seats with exaggerated groans.

“Is green tea good for you?” Diana asked the pair as she put kettle on the stove. “Studies show it helps improve memory and concentration.”

“Ugh, why are you such a nerd?” Hannah complained, leaning her head against the backrest.

“ _Excuse me!_ I am _not_ a nerd!” Diana huffed.

“Yeah, you totally are,” Barbara retorted playfully.

Diana huffed in an unladylike manner and went back to making the tea. Ever since the job at the Last Wednesday Society last week, her interactions with Hannah and Barbara were a lot more playful and casual. No doubt their unexpected friendships with Lotte and Sucy had some influence. Though Diana was pleased that they didn’t treat her like celebrity anymore, Diana wasn’t a fan of the constant teasing.

Diana carried the finished tea over to the table and poured a cup for each of them. She then reached for her school bag and withdrew her textbook; Hannah and Barbara reluctantly mimicked.

“I think we should start by going over the fundamental differences between constructive magic and incorporeal – “ Diana started when she was cut off but a sharp knock at the door.

“Diana, you in there? It’s Professor Croix.”

A flitter of panic flashed in Diana’s eyes, and the Cavendish heir practically screamed, “Quick, open the door! _OPEN THE DOOR_!”

The three of them shot up from their seats at the same time. But in their blind rush, Barbara tripped over the edge of the loveseat and faceplanted, Barbara banged her shin on the table corner and was immediately incapacitated, and Diana tripped over Barbara’s fallen form. Their fears intensified as Professor Croix knocked on the door again followed by an unusual declaration:

“Diana, I’m respecting your privacy by knocking, but asserting my authority as your teacher by coming in anyway!”

And just like that, Diana’s door was blasted off its hinges and shot across the room. Diana groaned into her hands; not again, she mentally screamed. The young witch grimaced as Professor Croix casually stepped into the room like she wasn’t responsible for wanton destruction of property.

“Do you realize how many times you’ve broken my door since I moved here?” Diana questioned as she and her friends stood up.

“And that was only my second one today,” said Croix, sound almost proud of herself. She then reached behind her back and pulled out a thin and slightly dusty book. “It took a while, but I found that look you were looking for.”

Diana accepted the dusty tome, taking a moment to examine the silver lettering on the cover: **The Legend of the Shooting Star.**

“Yes, this is it,” said Diana, immediately flipping through the pages in earnest. “Thank you for finding this, Professor.”

“The Legend of the Shooting Star,” Hannah read the cover Diana’s shoulder. “What’s that? Something to do with space magic or something.”

“Nothing like that,” Croix shook her head. “It’s an old story from seventy years ago, but the Legend of the Shooting Star is about a special broom?”

“A special broom?” Barbara repeated curiously.

“According to the legend, there once was a broom called the Shooting Star,” Croix explained, chuckling as she watched Diana flip through the pages almost obsessively. “It’s said that the witch who crafted it, made the broom with its own self-replenishing magical energy – a feat not even I have replicated. The Shooting Star essentially became a living creature that required no external power source or even a riding. However, it was also known to possess an extremely wild and uncontrollable personality. No one other than it’s creator has been able to tame it.”

“Well, whoever made it wasn’t very smart,” Hannah commented. “Why give it a personality if you can’t control it?”

“Who knows?” Croix shrugged. “But legend had it that the Shooting Star is the fastest broom in existence, able to cross the entire world in a single day. They say it received its name because it resembled a shooting star streaking across the sky.”

“Is it really that fast?” Barbara asked in awe.

“Like I said, it’s just an old legend,” Croix said flippantly. “There’s no proof that the Shooting Star ever existed. Which begs the question: why are you suddenly so interested in the Shooting Star, Diana.”

“It’s something about what happened during our job at the magic shop last week,” Diana answered, her eyes never leaving the old book. “While Akko and I were working the counter, a maid showed up to pick up an older copy of this book.”

“Was she cute?” asked Croix interestedly. Hannah and Barbara gave her incredulous stares. “What? It’s a legitimate questioned?”

“That’s not the part that bothers me,” Diana continued. “What I find strange is that the order was place by Otto Apocalypse.”

“Ah, now I get it,” said Croix, nodding slowly. “That is peculiar. Why would the Overseer of Schicksal be interested in an old fairy tale?”

“I was really just curious is all,” said Diana, closing the book with a snap. “I met Otto Apocalypse once during a formal ball my aunt hosted a few years. He never struck me as the type to dabble in fantasies.”

“I see,” said Croix slowly, a small grin crossing her lips. “You know…Luna Nova recently received a job request from Schicksal just the other day.” Diana, Hannah, and Barbara perked up immediately, curious. “Wanna know more…?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've had chapters centered around Akko's adventures, but I felt we should also have some dedicate to the blue and green teams. And despite being the top guild, Royal Regulus has its own screwlooses.
> 
> Just one more filler chapter and we can move on to the next major arc in the story. Look forward to it.
> 
> Also, be sure to check out my other stories, especially if you're an Owl House fan.

**Author's Note:**

> If you love this story, then please share some of that love with my other story.


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